Château de Villandry

En un regard

Le château en bref

Villandry Castle is a complex that intimately intertwines architecture and gardens, located 15 km west of Tours, in the French department of Indre-et-Loire, in the Centre-Val de Loire region. The last of the great palaces built along the banks of the Loire in the 16th century, Villandry Castle adds a final touch to the research of the early French Renaissance, while anticipating the achievements of Ancy-le-Franc (Burgundy) and Écouen (Île-de-France). The present gardens of Villandry Castle are the fruit of a patient reconstruction begun in 1906 by Dr Joachim Carvallo, based on plates and ancient texts by the architect Jacques Androuet du Cerceau, which dealt with a typical 16th-century Renaissance garden. The estate now covers more than six hectares laid out over four levels of terraces. The castle and its gardens have been listed as historic monuments since 12 April 1927, before being classified definitively on 4 September 1934. The estate now forms part of UNESCO's World Heritage.