- Type
- Castle
- Built
- c. 1450 · 15th century
- Site origins
- 990 per Wikidata – an earlier stronghold or first mention
- Location
- Pays de la Loire, France
- Style
- Renaissance architecture
- Commissioned by
- Jean II de Chambes
- Heritage
- part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site (an old town or a valley, for example)
- Coordinates
- 47.2156°, 0.0622°
History
A fortress guarding the river route stood on the bluff above the Loire, near its confluence with the Vienne, as early as the Middle Ages. The present château was begun around the middle of the 15th century by Jean de Chambes, a councillor and diplomat of King Charles VII, who gave it the look of a grand residence while keeping its defensive features. It was built right beside the river, whose waters once reached its walls. Over the following centuries it declined and was divided among many occupants, until in 1913 the Maine-et-Loire department bought it and began restoration. Since 2016 it has housed a museum of contemporary art, and in 2000 the whole central Loire Valley was inscribed on the UNESCO list.
What to see
The château is built of the white tufa typical of the Loire Valley, and on the courtyard side it is adorned with a Renaissance stair tower covered in rich carving. Its rooms display a collection of conceptual art, including works by the Art & Language group. The windows and terraces look out over the broad Loire, and around the château lies a charming village built of the same pale stone.
Wikipedia article Official website Wikidata Q1143049
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