Chateau d'Azay-le-Rideau description and photos - France: Loire Valley (Topic)

Chateau d'Azay-le-Rideau description and photos - France: Loire Valley. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The title in English is Chateau d'Azay-le-Rideau.

Photo and description

The Azay-le-Rideau castle is located in the French department of Indre-et-Loire. The castle is located in the city of the same name and was built on an island in the middle of the Indre River. The castle was built from 1518 to 1527, and it is a masterpiece of the French Renaissance and one of the most popular castles of the Loire Valley.

The first castle building was built in the 12th century by a local lord and one of the knights of King Philip II Rideau d 'Aze. The built fortress guarded the path from Tours to Chinon. This castle was destroyed during the Hundred Years War, when the future King Charles VII fled from Paris occupied by the Burgundian troops. Aze-le-Rideau was also occupied by the Burgundians, and, unable to bear their insults, the angry Dauphin ordered the execution of all those in the castle - 350 people, and the castle itself be burned down. In memory of this event, the city until the 18th century bore the name Aze-le-Brule, which literally translates as “burnt.”

The castle of Aze-le-Rideau lay in ruins until 1518, when these lands were not acquired Gilles Berthelot, mayor of the city of Tours, who also serves as the royal treasurer. Berthelot decided to build himself a castle in the then popular Italian Renaissance style. However, for greater prestige, he wanted the defensive elements inherent in the architecture of the Middle Ages to be present in his future residence.

Due to his court duties, the owner of the castle was not present during its construction, which was going very slowly - it was still necessary to lay the foundation on an island in the Indre River. In 1527, the castle was not yet completed when Gilles Berthelot fell into disgrace and was forced to leave the country. Francis I confiscated its territory and in 1535 transferred the castle to his vassal Antoine Raffen. The castle was never completed - it consisted only of the south and west wings.

In the 16th-17th centuries, the Azay-le-Rideau castle still belonged to the descendants of Raffin, in 1583 it underwent a small reconstruction, and on June 27, 1619, the king was first received here - Louis XIII spent the night in this castle on the way to his mother, Marie de Medici. Later, Louis XIV also stayed in the castle.

In 1787, the castle of Azay-le-Rideau was sold for 300 thousand French livres to the Marquis Charles de Biencourt, marshal of the royal troops. For many years the castle was in desolation, but since the 1820s its new owner began large-scale restoration work. In 1824, on the first floor of the southern wing, the "Chinese Cabinet" appeared, destroyed in the 1860s, and in 1825-1826 Biencourt decorated the library with carved wood panels. The reconstruction of the castle was continued by the son of Biencourt, the guardsman of King Louis XVI, who participated in the defense of the Tuileries Palace in 1792. The royal insignia on the stairs, damaged during the French Revolution, were restored, the courtyard was expanded, and a new, eastern tower was added. Thus, the castle of Azay-le-Rideau was finally completed, but almost all elements of medieval defensive architecture were lost. The work was supervised by the Swiss architect Ducilien, who also restored the nearby castle of Yusset.

During the Franco-Prussian War, the headquarters of the Prussian troops was located in the castle of Aze-le-Rideau. Once at the dinner table, at which was present the commander-in-chief of the army, Prince of Prussia Friedrich Karl, a huge candelabrum fell. The Prince of Prussia considered that an assassination attempt was being prepared in the castle and was about to order to burn the building to the ground, but the officers managed to dissuade him.

When the Prussian army left Azay-le-Rideau, the castle returned to the hands of the descendants of Biencourt. The castle became famous for its collection of over 300 portraits that were often exhibited to the public. But in 1899, the last owner of the castle from the Biencourt family faced financial difficulties and sold it with all the furniture and 540 hectares of land to a successful businessman from Tours, who, in turn, sold everything that was in the castle for greater profit.

The deserted castle of Aze-le-Rideau was bought by the state in 1905 for 250 thousand francs and became part of the monuments of history and culture. In the early years of World War II, representatives of the French Ministry of Education took refuge in the castle. Aze-le-Rideau Castle is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Aze-le-Rideau Castle, described by French writer Honore de Balzac as “a faceted diamond reflected in the waters of Endre”, is a masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance. which is expressed in exquisite sculptural decorations. You can also trace the partially preserved elements of the medieval defensive structure, for example, covered passages along the outer wall of the castle and covered loopholes under the roof itself. Many details also testify to the typical French architectural style, for example, gabled turrets, skylights, steep roof slopes.

The most remarkable detail of the castle is the main central staircase, influenced by the stairs at Chateaudun Castle. Surprisingly, this staircase is not spiral, and is the oldest example of a staircase of its kind in France. A staircase connects the four floors of the castle, each of which has double windows overlooking the courtyard. The entrance to the staircase resembles the ancient Roman triumphal arches, it is decorated with the initials of the first owner of the castle - Gilles Berthelot and his wife. The gables above the windows depict a salamander - a symbol of King Francis I. Inside, the staircase is decorated with various elaborate carvings and medallions with images of all French kings from Louis XI to Henry IV.

Inside, the Azay-le-Rideau castle is also decorated in the style the Italian Renaissance, while the more modern living rooms and bedrooms of the 19th century are in the neo-Renaissance style. The rooms contain Flemish tapestries from the 16th-17th centuries, including the "Scenes from the Old Testament" from Oudenaarde and the "Legend of Psyche" from Brussels. The chateau also houses a collection of portraits of French monarchs and a painting by Francois Clouet "The Lady's Toilet", which supposedly depicts Diane de Poitiers.

Aze-le-Rideau Castle is surrounded by a 19th century English park.

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Topic: Chateau d'Azay-le-Rideau description and photos - France: Loire Valley.