- Type
- Palace / château
- Built
- 1518 · 16th century
- Location
- Centre-Val de Loire, France
- Coordinates
- 47.2590°, 0.4658°
History
The medieval castle at Azay was burned in 1418 by the Dauphin Charles, who had several hundred Burgundian soldiers executed here – for a long time the village was nicknamed Azay-le-Brûlé, the burnt. In 1518 Gilles Berthelot, royal treasurer and mayor of Tours, began a new residence on the ruins, with the work largely overseen by his wife Philippe Lesbahy. Around 1527 Berthelot, facing charges in a financial scandal, fled the country, and Francis I confiscated the unfinished château and gave it to Antoine Raffin. In the 19th century later owners added a tower and refurbished the interiors, and in 1905 the château was bought by the state.
What to see
The château stands on an island in the Indre, its façades of white Touraine tufa reflected in the water. Inside, the highlight is the monumental straight-flight staircase in the Italian manner, decorated with royal portraits and the salamanders of Francis I. The rooms are furnished to evoke the 16th and 19th centuries, and the château is surrounded by a romantic park with old trees.
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