In the heart of Touraine, in a setting where the whiteness of the tufa stone blends with the ever-changing green of the Indre River, the Château de l'Islette has the distinction of being a A living monument of the 21st century, a testament to history but also a living space for the current owners. This castle, which Camille Claudel and Rodin were guests on several occasions, is an invitation to let yourself be carried away by the romantic charm of the Indre Valley.
The Château de l'Islette is a long, rectangular, three-story building flanked by two imposing towers. built at the behest of René de Maillé in the heart of the RenaissanceAround 1530, the building, by its architectural design and location, is reminiscent of its neighbor in Azay-le-Rideau, a monument also built by local craftsmen. It features the same double band of moldings between the two stories, mullioned windows of similar proportions adorned with a volute in the center of the lintel, and the same machicolated parapet walk. The resemblance was even more striking before, at the beginning of the 19th century, the moat was filled in, the gables of the dormer windows were shortened, and the towers were truncated, giving the building its current appearance.
The Great Hall, the castle's centerpiece, offers a remarkable pictorial decoration from the late 16th century early 17th century, having served as a studio for Camille Claudel and Auguste Rodin. L'Islette still resonates today with tumultuous love affair of these two great sculptorswho stayed there in the early 1890s. A place of creation and a source of inspiration, Rodin worked there on his famous Balzac, whose statue was commissioned by the Société des Gens de Lettres in August 1891. As for Camille Claudel, she sculpted one of her major works there: The Little Chatelainetaking as her model the granddaughter of the owners of the castle at the time. "You cannot imagine how good it is at L'Islette... and it is so pretty there! ... If you are kind enough to keep your promise, we will know paradise." Camille Claudel wrote to Auguste Rodin.
The current owners have the pleasure in sharing their home, revealing the currently inhabited rooms and thus the layout of a 21st century castle, transporting the visitor into this living monument more than any other.
- Continue your exploration of the Loire Valley with the circuit Around Chinon within which this castle is situated.
