The last of the great Loire Valley châteaux built during the Renaissance, Villandry is a a magnificent building that has evolved for centuries in a spectacular green settingIt was built starting in 1532 under the impetus of Jean Le Breton, Minister of Finance to Francis I. Drawing on his experience at Chambord, he decided to build a sumptuous monument of striking simplicity and great elegance. However, Le Breton chose to preserve the medieval heritage by maintaining the massive keep which still dominates today the three new French Renaissance style buildings. From the top of the terrace of this tower, visitors can enjoy an exceptional panorama of the gardens, allowing them to appreciate both the explosive colours of the vegetable garden and to guess the messages drawn by the plants of the "love gardens".
Already in the 16th century, Villandry was surrounded byremarkable exteriors, according to the wishes of the minister of Francis I. Over the centuries, successive owners have strived to modernize the property's gardens. This is particularly true of the Marquis de Castellane, who acquired the seigneury of Villandry in 1754In addition to designing the French-style gardens, this ambassador of King Louis XV profoundly altered the château, both inside and out. A proponent of Neoclassicism, he chose to build a spectacular Louis XV staircase and redesigned dining room in Provençal tones that make it unique. Very involved in the transformations of his property, Michel-Ange de Castellane also modified the exterior appearance of the castle, adapting it as much as possible to the taste of the time.
The architectural upheaval at Villandry undertaken by the Marquis ultimately distorted the original Renaissance monument. The doctor Joachim Carvallo and his wife Anne Coleman, the new owners from 1906, set about restoring the castle to its original state.l, starting with the facades. From 1908 to 1918, the English gardens gave way to a sumptuous French garden typical of the Renaissance, which complemented the monument. Today, it is their great-grandson, Henri Carvallo, who is working to enhance this unique place.
The Château de Villandry is both a a precious historical monument and a living space where plants reign supremeThe exceptional gardens, constantly evolving, are the scene of numerous events each year which allow us to appreciate even more the diversity of the different spaces: the vegetable garden, the woods, the ornamental gardens, the water garden, the Sun garden, the labyrinth or even the herb garden are all atmospheres which forge the character of the Château de Villandry.
- Continue your exploration of the Loire Valley with the circuit The castles around Tours which includes the Château de Villandry.
