Friends, let's talk about France... What's the first thing that comes to your mind? Perhaps the Champs Elysees, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre are the eternal symbols of romantic Paris? They are certainly beautiful, although it seems to me that the real French spirit can be felt in the provinces and, believe me, there is little that can be compared in terms of the brightness of emotions and impressions with a leisurely journey along the Loire river valley. And if you are a connoisseur of history and architecture and a passionate fan of gardens and parks, then you will definitely like it! The French say that when the Loire reaches a turning point in its northward course and turns west toward the Atlantic, it ceases to be just a river and becomes RIVER! It flows past a jeweled necklace of castles, palaces and beautiful mansions. There are so many attractions here that all the Loire Valley is inscribed world heritage UNESCO, and for the abundance of magnificent castles and palaces, it is often called the "Valley of Castles".
Today I want to talk about one of them. I liked it so much that I visited it twice with a break of two years and got great aesthetic pleasure.

So, a must-see in the Loire Valley is Villandry Castle (Château de Villandry) - a grandiose masterpiece of landscape art and architecture.

Villandry (Château de Villandry) is the last of the great Renaissance castles built on the banks of the Loire. Its exquisite architecture is in perfect harmony with the famous three-level gardens.
Impressions overtake immediately as soon as you get to the territory of the castle - it seems as if you are transported many centuries ago. Everything around speaks of luxury, great taste, the desire to create a landscape that has no equal in the world. The castle is unique and the interiors are recreated with amazing accuracy, but today I propose to talk in more detail about the main treasure of Villandry - its famous gardens.

By the way, the gardens of Villandry are created in the style of the Italian Renaissance and are the forerunners of the classical French gardens.

Let's go to the gardens...

The magnificent gardens are located on three levels, rising one above the other. The spectacle will not leave anyone indifferent!

The upper level of the gardens - "Water Mirror".

The water garden has a classical layout in the style of Louis XV and is located around a large pond, the surface of which resembles a mirror, surrounded by clipped lindens. This beautiful place For a relaxing holiday and contemplation.

The middle level is the ornamental gardens of Villandry.

The famous symbolic garden is located at the level of the living rooms of the castle. In order to fully embrace it with your eyes, it is better to climb the belvedere.
Abovefour squares located at the bottom are clearly visible, which form the so-called "Gardens of Love" They represent all stages of love: there is passion and hatred, tenderness and tragedy. These shades of feelings were realized with the help of arrays of trimmed shrubs and flowers.

"Tender Love" symbolize hearts separated by flames. In the center of the composition, boxwood (Buxus) hedges are trimmed in the form of ballroom masks.
"Passionate love" is also represented by hearts, but these are already hearts stricken with passion. They intertwine with each other in a stormy dance of love.
"Fickle Love" - four fans in the corners, which embody the variability of feelings. How can it be without horns - a symbol of betrayal and deceived love! "Tragic Love" personified by the blades of daggers and swords in memory of duels due to rivalry in love. Red begonia flowers Begonia framed by trimmed boxwood hedges (Buxus) is an allegory of spilled blood.
On the opposite side of the canal is the "second saloon". Crossing the channel.. .
And a wonderful view opens up to our eyes - a garden thatembodies the "Allegory of Music". Here you can see lyres, stylized musical notes and candelabra to illuminate the score. Lilac lavender (Lavandula), delicate Perovskia (Perovskia) and sheared boxwood (Buxus) intertwine in bizarre patterns and perform the perfect color match.

Next to the "gardens of love" are three large compositions in the form of crosses: in the center is the Maltese cross, to the left of it - the Languedoc, and to the right - the Basque.

Lower level - "garden-garden"

Between the castle and the village stretched typical for the Renaissance "garden-garden". It is formed by nine squares of the same size with different geometric patterns.
In them, framed by sheared boxwood (Buxus), various vegetables are poured: carrots, beets, pumpkins, cabbage, leeks. There is an impression that you see a multi-colored chessboard!

The “garden-garden” did not do without fruit trees - these are mainly apple and pear trees. The composition of the lower garden is complemented by small fountains in the shape of an eight-pointed star and cozy gazebos with climbing roses.

Pharmacy Garden

Between the "garden-garden" and the church there is an apothecary garden. This is a traditional medieval garden where aromatic herbs, spices and medicinal plants grow.

Labyrinth of Villandry

The labyrinth is full of charm and embodies the allegory of the life path. Its composition is based on the Christian tradition and, unlike the Greek labyrinth, has no dead ends. Therefore, the visitor's task is not to find a way out, but to gradually free himself from vain thoughts on the way to God (the central tent).

Fun Facts About Villandry Gardens:

• The gardens have 1,260 linden trees, 52 km of hedgerows and 900 fruit trees that require constant trimming and shaping. For this, a staff of 10 gardeners with assistants is used.
• About forty types of vegetables belonging to eight botanical families are planted each year in Villandry Gardens, as well as 200,000 planting units of flowers and aromatic herbs, 50% of which are grown in local greenhouses.
• Every year, two plantings are carried out in the gardens: one in the spring (from March to June), the second in the summer (from June to November).
• Since 2009, gardeners have finally redefined their farming practices in favor of "organic farming".
• Each year, Villandry develops new planting patterns for vegetables and flowers, and strictly observes a three-year crop rotation to avoid soil depletion.

Come to Villandry! I am sure that you will like the wonderful castle very much, and its gardens will leave unforgettable experience and you, like me, will want to see them in different seasons.

Villandry Castle (Le château de Villandry), considered the last of the great castles of the Loire Valley, was built in the Renaissance and Louis XIV style, 15 km west of Tours. Since 1934 it has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Journey into history

One of the most beautiful aristocratic estates of the Loire Valley, Villandry Castle was built in the first half of the 16th century. for the secretary of Francis I, J. le Breton, whose duties included overseeing the construction of the castles of Chambord and Fontainebleau. For several years he was also ambassador to Rome, where he also studied landscape art.

Upon his return to France, he began the construction of his new residence in the style of the early Renaissance on the site of the former fortress of the XII century, the existence of which is now only reminiscent of the cellars of new buildings and the donjon in the southwestern part of the castle. Until the middle of the XVIII century. Villandry Castle remained the property of his heirs.

In 1754, the Marquis M-A became the owner of the castle of Villandry. de Castellane. He ordered to change its facade in accordance with the fashionable trends in architecture of his time. In the middle of the XVIII century. the castle was decorated with arches and balconies with elegant decor, but it lost the colonnades on the ground floor.

During the reign of Napoleon I, his brother Jerome became the full owner of the castle, who paid great attention to the design of its interiors in the Empire style. After the collapse of the first empire, Villandry Castle becomes home to the Engerlo family.

In 1906, the castle was acquired by the doctor of medicine and amateur art critic J. Carvalho. The restoration of the castle and especially its gardens became his life's work. During the restoration work, the arcades and window decorations of the main building were rebuilt, but its southern facade and interiors were left in the same form as under the Marquis de Castellane. At the beginning of the XXI century. the castle is still privately owned by A. Carvalho, but is available for free visiting.

Architectural and planning composition

The façade of Villandry Castle is built slightly asymmetrically, which can be seen from the rows of windows and the direction of both of its wings, forming the shape of the letter U. They are typical examples of the architectural school of the Renaissance period. In the design of their facades, decorative elements are used, common for architecture of the 16th century. Among them are large windows framed by pilasters with capitals, friezes and dormer windows with tympanums and volutes. The castle courtyard is framed on both sides by two arcades.

From the interior of Villandry Castle, a number of living rooms, a main staircase, a dining room, an art gallery, four living rooms and a dining room are available for tourists to visit. The most interesting of them are the chambers of Napoleon I's brother Prince Jerome with interiors in red tones, a dining room with a fireplace in the form of a palm tree trunk, a living room with a mosaic wooden Arabic ceiling of 3600 elements and a castle kitchen.

Gardens of Villandry

The gardens located near Villandry Castle are arranged on different levels of three terraces. With their planning hired in the XVI . J. de Breton, gardeners were guided by Italian models of landscape gardening art.

On the first, lower, level of Villandry Park is the castle garden. On its 9 square beds, vegetables are grown, matched to match the color of the foliage. They are separated by plantations of fruit trees and fountains, originally intended for irrigation.

On the second level there is a three-part Ornament Garden. Closest to the castle is the Garden of Love and the Garden of Crosses. The garden of love consists of 4 parterres, each of which symbolizes one of the forms of sublime feelings: tragic, crafty, tender and passionate love.

Their meaning is conveyed by the shape of the flower beds and the color of the flowers. Pieces in the shape of heart fragments symbolize passionate feelings, while geometric shapes with sharp corners resemble daggers and speak of tragic love. In the center of the parterre of tender love, there are masks and flower beds in the shape of hearts with pastel colors. The square of the Garden of Evil Love contains a combination of fan-shaped flower beds, between which figures resembling horns are placed.

Behind the alleys of the Garden of Love begins the territory of the Garden of Crosses. The plants planted here form figures in the form of Basque, Languedoc and Maltese crosses. Lilies are planted between them, symbolizing royalty and the Virgin Mary.

The garden of music is located perpendicular to the first two gardens behind the canal. Its parterre combines flower beds of complex shape, denoting a lyre and a harp. The geometric patterns around them are reminiscent of candelabra and music stands.

At the top of the hillside is the Garden of Water with a large pool shaped like an antique mirror. It was designed by H. Carvalho at the beginning of the 20th century. The central pond is surrounded by 4 fountains, lawns and a boxwood hedge. Next to it is the Garden of the Sun, founded in 2008. In the center of its square territory there is a fountain in the form of an octagonal star, to each beam of which there is an alley framed by flower beds.

How to get there

Address: 3 Rue Principale, Villandry
Telephone: +33 2 47 50 02 09
Website: www.chateauvillandry.fr
Working hours: 9:00-18:00

Ticket price

• Adult: 11 €
• Reduced: 7 €

Updated: 09/13/2017

Villandry Castle is located in the Loire Valley southwest of Tours. During Roman times, the Gallo-Roman villa "Villa Andriaca" was located on the site of Villandry Castle, hence its current name. At the time of the Mirovingians, there was a settlement on this site, and later, around the year 1000, a castle was built. It gets the name Colombiers (French for dovecote). The castle originally consisted of a square tower - a donjon, later surrounded by a fortress wall.

The castle of Colombiers was the seat of the castellan (chatellenie) of the castle of Tours (Le Château de Tours). The first famous signor in history Colombiers was Geoffroy le Roux, he married his daughter Lisoye in 1080 to Hugues d "Amboise.

The history of Colombiers Castle is inextricably linked with King Henry II of England.

The last three years of the king's life were spent in the struggle with the king of France, Philip Augustus, and his heir Richard the Lionheart acted as an ally, and sometimes as an opponent of his father.

In February 1187, Philip invaded Berry and occupied Isoudun Castle. Richard came forward to meet him, and they met at Chateauroux. Philip offered peace and, with the help of a papal legate, a truce was concluded for two years.

At the beginning of 1188, the English and French kings met again and decided to go together to crusade. But in the middle of the year, after a quarrel between father and son, the war resumed again, between Henry and Richard.

On November 18, 1188, Henry, Richard and Philip met at Bowlen. Philip demanded that Richard marry Alice, daughter of Louis VII, and also that the English barons recognize him as Henry's heir. After Henry refused, Richard swore allegiance to Philip for Aquitaine, Anjou, Normandy, Berry and those lands that were occupied by him in Toulouse. Philip took the oath of vassalage. The truce lasted until Easter 1189. By this time Henry was already suffering from a bleeding ulcer.

As a result of a new meeting of the kings at La Ferthe-Bernard in 1189, no results were reached in the discussion. Shortly thereafter, Philip and Richard launched a surprise attack. Heinrich was taken by surprise at Le Mans, he retreated north to Alençon, from where he could escape to the safety of Normandy. Unexpectedly, however, Henry turned south towards Anjou, the weather was very hot, the king was getting worse and worse. Henry evaded the enemy on his way south and made his way to Chinon Castle. Philip and Richard understood that Henry was dying and that Richard would be the next king and offered to negotiate. The three of them met at Colombiers Castle, by which time Henry was completely weak and was no longer able to sit on a horse. On July 4, 1189, peace was concluded in Colombiers (Paix de Colombiers), according to which he recognized Richard as his heir, promised to marry Alice to him, undertook to pay compensation to Philip in the amount of 20 thousand marks and transfer to him the key castles of Touraine as a guarantee.

Henry was transported to Chinon Castle on a stretcher, where he died on July 6, 1189. He was buried in Fontevraud Abbey.

In the second half of the fourteenth century, the castle of Colombiers, as a result of marriage, passes into the possession of the de Craon family, Vicomtes de Châteaudun.

On March 4, 1532, the castle was acquired by Jean Le Breton, Secretary of State to King Francis I of France. He destroyed most of the old fortress, and in its place, in 1536, construction began on a new castle in the Renaissance style. The tower of La Tour Carrée is the only remnant of an ancient fortress. Jean Le Breton supervised the construction of Chambord Castle. King Francis repeatedly visited Colombiers Castle at the invitation of Jean Le Breton.

In 1619, the signoria de Colombiers becomes a marquisate (the property of the marquis) for Balthazar Le Breton, and then in 1639 the castle and the surrounding area changes its name to Villandry. Balthazar was granted the title of "Marquis de Villandry". Finally, in 1758, the marquisate becomes the property of Michel Ange de Castellane, the new owner of the castle. He decided to change its appearance according to the trends of the times: the windows of the castle were decorated with Italian-style arches and balconies were added, and walls were erected in place of the first floor colonnades to equip kitchens and utility rooms.

IN early XIX centuries, the castle belonged to the younger brother of Napoleon - Prince Jerome. In 1856, Villandry was badly damaged by the floods of the Loire and Cher. Subsequently, the castle passed to the Engerlo family.

In 1906, the castle was acquired by Dr. Joaquim Carvalho, a great art lover. He decided to restore the castle of Villandry to its original appearance. In Villandry, the arcades were rebuilt and the windows restored to their original appearance, and the gardens were recreated. Restoration work did not affect the southern facade and the interior of the castle. The castle is currently owned by Henri Carvalho, great-grandson of Joaquim Carvalho.

Villandry Castle was built in the 16th century by the Minister of Finance Jean Le Breton on the site of an old building, which was razed to the ground, leaving the foundation of the 12th century and one tower, to which new buildings were attached. Previously, Jean Le Breton was an ambassador in Rome, from where he transferred the traditions and best examples of garden art during the Italian Renaissance. The construction of the castle, partly surrounded by a moat, was completed in 1536. Thus, this castle is considered the last of the Renaissance palaces built on the Loire.

A large paved U-shaped yard, formed by outbuildings, is open towards the valley. The main wings and two perpendicular side wings with open lower arcades follow the classical principles of symmetry, but their structure was influenced by the foundation of the old castle: the side wings are of different lengths and not quite parallel.

The descendants of Jean Le Breton were the owners of the castle of Villandry until 1754, until it passed into the possession of the Marquis de Castellane, royal ambassador and a native of a noble family of Provence. The Marquis remodeled the facades in the classical style, built on the main pavilion, modernized the interiors and planted new gardens. In the 19th century, the traditional garden was destroyed in order to create a park around the castle in English style(in the style of Monceau Park in Paris).

In 1906, Villandry was bought by a Spaniard - Dr. Joachim Carvallo, a prominent scientist (ancestor of the current owner). He left his scientific career, which he had pursued with Professor Charles Richet (Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1913), and devoted himself entirely to the restoration of the Chateau de Villandry. The doctor actually saved the castle, which was on the verge of destruction, and recreated the gardens, made in the Renaissance style, which were created under Jean Le Breton. Joachim Carvallo was also the founder in 1924 of the "Historic House", the first association that brought together the owners of historic castles, and initiated the opening of these architectural monuments to the general public.

Villandry gardens combine two traditions: Gothic - with flowers, medicinal and food herbs, the best examples which are presented in monasteries or private estates, and Italian, more decorative and aesthetic with a lot of cropped greenery. More than a thousand linden trees are planted in the Villandry gardens, and the total length of hedges is 52 km.

The territory of the Villandry estate is located in a small valley through which a stream flows. The valley has a slope of relief, which led to the creation of gardens on several levels.

The symbolic garden is a continuation of the living rooms of the castle. In order to see it in its entirety and understand all the true beauty and encrypted meaning, you need to climb a hill. The four squares closest to the building are made of shrubs trimmed in the form of figures-allegories of love. Love is shown here in four different forms:

- Tender love symbolized by hearts separated by flames and masks worn at balls;

- passionate love formed by hearts pierced by arrows. Boxwood arrays are mixed up with each other and represent a labyrinth, which is associated with dance and intricate tangles of destinies;

- fickle love- these are four fans in the corners, which symbolize the lightness and inconstancy of feelings, horns and love notes are also depicted here. This square is dominated by yellow as a symbol of betrayal and deceived love;

- tragic love shown with sword blades, and the red flowers prevailing in summer are a symbol of the blood shed in duels.

Above the symbolic garden is a garden, arranged around a large mirror pond and surrounded by a green wall. There are also four small fountains, surrounded by ball-shaped boxwoods in square containers. This perfect place to rest, relax and dream. Nearby is a labyrinth of sheared green walls. Above is a fenced rectangular area where domestic animals graze.

On the lower level there is a vegetable garden with an area of ​​12.5 thousand sq.m. Cabbage, carrots, beets, beans, lettuce and other vegetables are planted in ornamental beds. The beds are interspersed with apple and pear trees shaped like trellises. In front of the plants there are information plates explaining their symbolic meanings: pumpkin - fertility, cabbage - promiscuity, etc. In addition, they provide information about medicinal properties everyone. Fountains, originally intended for irrigation, are an additional element of decoration of this garden. Around the fountains there are four benches under semicircular pergolas entwined with fragrant roses. This layout dates back to ancient times.

The terrain allows you to view the gardens of Villandry from a height. This can be done from the tower of the castle, which offers a vista of the village with the bell tower of the Romanesque church and a view of the Loire and Cher valleys. You can also enjoy a breathtaking view from two balconies with balustrades specially arranged on a wooded slope.

Villandry Castle and Gardens are classified as historical monuments. Anyone can visit them at all times of the year, both individually and in a group accompanied by a guide. You can also enjoy traditional French dishes in the restaurant located on the grounds of the castle.

About 20 kilometers southwest of Tours is Villandry Castle, considered one of the jewels of Touraine. Once there was a vast Roman estate "Villa Andriaca" here, hence the name of the territory. Chateau de Villandry, completed around 1536, is the last of the great castles that were built on the banks of the Loire during the Renaissance.

In 1000, for unknown reasons, the area was dubbed Colombier (French for "dovecote"), however, not forever - in 1639 the historical name will return. But in the annals of the difficult relationship between France and England, the local fortress will fall under the “bird” name: on July 4, 1189, a few days before the death of Henry II Plantagenet, he signed the so-called “Pigeon Peace” (Paix de Colombiers) here. This humiliating agreement with Philip Augustus marked the victory of the Capetians over their English vassals and the transfer of many territories, including Touraine, to their disposal. A hint of birds remained in the way the locals are still called: Colombiens.

According to his demands, Henry II had to give up most of his possessions in France in favor of Philip. By that time, the health of the ruler of England was severely undermined, and the French monarch, seeing the poor condition of his opponent, invited Henry to sit down. But he refused and continued to stand, supported by his personal guard. There is no doubt that his already sad state worsened when, at the negotiations, he saw his son, the then Count of Poitou (and the future King Richard the Lionheart), who, in his struggle against his father, took the side of the worst enemy - the King of France. Filled with anger, King Henry II swore cruel revenge on Richard, but died 3 days later, cursing his own traitor son.

At the beginning of the 16th century, Jean le Breton, Minister of Finance under King Francis I, became the owner of the castle. In addition to his main activity in the field of finance and trade, he had significant architectural knowledge. For several years he was the head of the construction work of Chambord Castle. As French ambassador to Italy, he was interested in architectural innovations and landscape design.

Initially, the village and the estate bore the common name "Colombiers" ("Pigeon Perches"). Jean le Breton considered this name too general, and since he was in good standing at the court of the king, he was allowed to change not only the name of the village and castle, but also his own titular pronunciation. So Jean le Breton soon became known as "Monseigneur de Villandry".

In turn, the castle was supposed to emphasize the important social position of its owner, so Jean le Breton and his family, without hesitation, invested significant financial resources to ennoble both the castle itself and the surrounding area. It is not known for certain whether Jean le Breton was an honest official, or, on the contrary, was very dodgy, but he did not suffer the shameful fate of the owners of the castles Azey-le-Rideau and Chenonceau, who lost their property. In 1619, his grandson Balthasar was even granted the noble title of "Marquis de Villandry".

The descendants of Jean le Breton retained Villandry until 1754, when the castle became the property of the Marquis de Castellane, royal ambassador and descendant of a very famous family of Provençal nobility. By his order, additions were made in the classical style on both sides of the front yard. He also redesigned the interior of the castle, adapting it to the comfort standards of the 18th century: he decorated the windows, added balconies, blocked part of the courtyard with a wall to accommodate the kitchen.

Villandry kept this view until 1906. The castle itself consists of three horseshoe-shaped buildings facing the river. Cross-shaped window frames, attics, steep roof slopes form a rare harmonious complex. Not everything was saved - so round turrets with pointed conical roofs did not reach us. The monumental architecture of the castle was influenced by a simpler style, which was later called the style of Henry IV.

In the 19th century, the traditional garden was destroyed in order to create an English-style park around the castle (in the style of Parc Monceau in Paris).

In 1906, the castle was acquired by the great-grandfather of today's owners, Dr. Joachim Carvallo, who headed the Association of Owners of Historical Monuments. He forgoes a brilliant scientific career under Professor Charles Richet (Nobel Prize in Medicine 1913) to devote his life exclusively to Villandry. He saves the castle from destruction and recreates the gardens on the model of a 16th century garden. Finding the original project created by Androis du Cerso, Carvallo recreated the structure of the park, laid straight paths along which lawns with flowers are located, planted lime alleys, hedges skillfully trimmed by gardeners, reproduced the amazing herbariums of medieval monks.

The doctor actually saved the castle, which was on the verge of destruction, and created gardens that are in perfect harmony with the architecture of the castle, made in the Renaissance style, gardens that we can enjoy to this day.

Joachim Carvallo was also the founder in 1924 of the "Historic House", the first association that united the owners of historic castles. He was the first who decided to open these architectural monuments to the general public.

Clickable 3000 px, panorama

Villandry Castle has several unique features. His courtyard is not fenced with castle buildings, but on the contrary is absolutely open from the outside. With such a configuration, the castle completely lost its protective functions, and was a cozy mansion, opening magnificent views of the Cher River from its windows. Jean le Breton decided to keep main tower of the old fortress, thus emphasizing the belonging of the castle back to feudal times, organically fitting it into the complex of buildings of the Renaissance. The tower's spiral staircase was redesigned to fully convey the flavor of the 12th century. Unlike Versailles, built a century later, the apparent strict geometry of Villandry is in fact nothing more than an optical illusion, although when viewed from the side, the main buildings are located relative to each other at right angles.

Architecturally, Villandry Castle is a vivid example of the late French Renaissance and the last of the castles on the Loire coast built during this period. There are no hints of Italy and the Middle Ages, a purely French style reigns here, anticipating what would later be called the style of Henry IV. The configuration of the castle is based on the principle of symmetry, but so that the ensemble as a whole does not create a feeling of monotony, the windows of the main residential building are not aligned exactly along its middle part, and the wings of the building are slightly different in length and are located at different angles. On the lower floor there is a dining room and a kitchen, here you can also see a model of the castle. Above are several rooms open to the public and a gallery displaying works of art by Spanish realists. From the third floor you can go to the ancient donjon and admire beautiful view to the palace gardens and the Cher valley.

Although it is better to admire the gardens during a leisurely walk, this is a separate attraction. Joaquin Carvalho recreated them in the image and likeness of the gardens of the 16th and 18th centuries.

The gardens are located on three levels. On the upper terrace there is the Garden of Water and the Garden of the Sun, on the middle one there is an ornamental ornamental garden, a renaissance labyrinth and an apothecary garden. At the lowest level there is a picturesque garden-garden.

Surrounded by lime trees, the Water Garden has a classic Louis XV layout with a large mirror pond in the center. The jets of fountains in the garden resemble royal lilies.

The highest in the southern part of the castle is the Garden of the Sun. The work on its creation was completed by the current owner of the castle, Henri Carvalho, in the spring of 2008, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the restoration of the gardens by his great-grandfather Joaquin Carvalho. The garden of the sun consists of three parts. The "cloud room" is formed by shrubs and plants with blue and white flowers. A star-shaped fountain is surrounded by a "sun room" designed in yellow and orange tones. And the last "room" - "children's" - playground for kids among apple trees.

Part of the ornamental ornamental garden, which is like a continuation of the living rooms of the castle, is called the Gardens of Love. The skillfully trimmed shrub and flowers in the four squares represent the various forms of this feeling: Fleeting, Passionate, Tender and Tragic love. On the left side, if you look at the Gardens of Love from the gazebo, you can see three crosses - Maltese, Basque and Languedoc, as well as stylized lilies.

On the other side of the canal, there is the second part of the ornamental garden - the “musical” salon, where the shape of the clipped bushes resembles some stringed instruments (lyre, harp), musical notes, candelabra to illuminate the score.

Nine squares of the same size with different geometric patterns on the lower level - this is a vegetable garden, created according to the ideas of the famous Androuet du Cerso.

The squares are planted with vegetables of various colors: blue leeks, red cabbage and beets, green tops of carrots, peppers, eggplants and others; as well as fruit trees, rosehip seedlings and flowers.

French gardeners of the 16th century combined two traditions: monastic (the monks often gave the beds a geometric shape, often the shape of a cross) and Italian (decorative elements: arbors, fountains and flower beds). Such decorative gardens were described by the famous architect of the 16th century, Androuet du Cerso, and Joaquim Carvalho recreated them at the beginning of the 20th century.

The atmosphere of the 18th century has been restored in the building. The castle tower overlooks the Loire and Cher valleys. Climbing up to the roof is simply necessary to be able to look at all the gardens of Villandry.

The originality of Villandry lies not only in the innovative architectural concept, but also in the use of the landscape, thanks to which gardens of unsurpassed beauty are grown around the castle, and which are in perfect harmony with nature and stone.

Joachim Carvallo and his wife collected Spanish paintings from the 17th century, the "golden age" of Spanish painting. And when they acquired Villandry in 1906, one of the goals was to find a place for the collection, which then gained great fame. Villandry owns about 50 paintings and the current owners are striving to restore the original collection. All paintings belong to the Spanish realistic movement - a magnificent combination of Flemish and Italian designs.

One of the most amazing sights of the castle is the Arabian ceiling. It was brought from the palace of the Princes de Maqueda, built in the 15th century in Toledo. This house had 4 corner living rooms, each of which had a dome with multi-colored wooden gilded caissons. The palace was destroyed in 1905.

Now three ceilings of this palace are preserved in major international museums. Well, the fourth was brought by Joachim Carvallo to Villandry Castle in the form of 3600 parts. It took a year to put the puzzle back together. This Spanish-Moorish Mudéjar ceiling was created by Moorish craftsmen for Spanish owners and is a mixture of decorative elements of Christian and Moorish art. Franciscan strings, shells of St. Jacques from Compostel, flower ornaments and sovereign heraldry are combined with stucco, gilding and Arabic script.

In the dining room there is an interesting fireplace, whose chimney is made in the shape of a palm tree.

The main thing worth going to Villandry for is undoubtedly its gardens. They are planted with 1,150 lindens, and the total length of hedges is approximately 52 km. Every year, 250,000 seedlings of flowers and vegetables are transplanted in the gardens. Weeding is done entirely by hand so as not to damage the very fragile roots of the boxwood. Flowers are planted in such a way that each variety blooms in its season, replacing others.

Le Breton, who carried out the mission of the ambassador of Francis I in Italy, happened to see many gardens, including the villas d'Este and Lante, planned by the famous masters of the Italian Renaissance, gardens that organically merged with the architecture of the buildings, acting as an accompaniment to them. These Italian gardens were characterized by strict geometric lines and a pronounced architectonic solution. Based on the Italian model, the French gardens occupy, however, large areas, make fortress walls unnecessary and, as it were, reduce the external volumes of buildings. Their wide alleys are bordered by flowering parterres, the contours of which are emphasized by a hedge of clipped shrubs. Villandry gardens are the best way to meet these requirements.

The gardens are divided into three levels. The topmost - the first level - is Water garden (Jardin d'eau). Inspired by classicism, it is placed around a large expanse of water created in the shape of a Louis XV mirror. The mirror is a pond with rare aquatic plants. Water is taken from the pond both for watering and for the functioning of the fountains. The water garden is the perfect place for unhurried reflection in hot weather.

The second level, lying on the same level with the halls of the lower floor, is Regular garden (Le jardin d'ornement), consisting of three thematic areas: the Garden of Love (Jardin d'amour), the Garden of Music (Jardin de la musique) and the Garden of Medicinal Herbs (Jardin des simples). Flowers and herbs are planted among short-cut shrubs, forming a whimsical ornament.

Designing garden of love, the creator of the park wanted the hedges to represent the kinds of love. There are four of them, according to the author.’

Tender love- hearts separated at the corners by fires of love flame. In the center are masks that were worn over the eyes during balls and made it possible to have any conversation, from the most serious to the most frank.

Fickle (fleeting) love- four fans in the corners symbolize the lightness of feelings. Between these fans are the horns of treason. In the center are love letters or notes that a windy woman sends to her lover. The dominant color of this square is yellow, the color of treason.

passionate love- hearts, but this time broken by passion. Boxwood arrays are tangled and form a labyrinth, and there is also a hint of dance.

tragic love- the drawings represent the blades of daggers and swords used in duels due to rivalry in love. In summer, red flowers bloom here - a symbol of the blood shed in the struggle.

The second garden Garden of Music- symbolizes various musical instruments in the orchestra. Large triangles represent lyres, next to which harps appear. Between the lyres are candlesticks to illuminate the musical score.

The third garden Medicinal herb garden. As in medieval gardens, it is located between the garden and the church. The garden has more than 30 types of spicy, medicinal and aromatic herbs. All these herbs our ancestors considered useful for family life. All of them you can identify thanks to the plates.

And finally, the third level - Garden (Rotager) with an area of ​​12.5 thousand sq. m. It consists of 9 square beds of the same size, but with different geometric motifs. These square beds are planted with vegetables whose colors are combined (blue of leeks, red of cabbage and beets, jade green of carrot tops) to give the impression of a multicolored chessboard. Vegetable plantings are interspersed with apple and pear trees, whose branches form trellis alleys.

Fountains, originally intended for irrigation, are an additional element of decoration of this green landscape. In front of the plants there are information plates explaining their symbolic meanings: cabbage - promiscuity, pumpkin - fertility, etc. In addition, they inform about the medicinal properties of each plant.

The origin of the vegetable garden dates back to the Middle Ages. The monks in their abbeys liked to arrange vegetables in geometric shapes. The numerous crosses in Villandry's garden remind us of these monastic roots. To enliven the gardens, the monks added roses. Planted symmetrically, they, according to the old tradition, symbolize a monk digging up a vegetable plot.

Italian influence brings decorative elements to this monastery garden: fountains, gazebos entwined with greenery, garden beds with flowers. French gardeners of the 16th century combined these two trends - the monastic French and Italian - and created the garden that they needed for roses and new vegetables brought from America. They call it "decorative garden". This is exactly what was in the project du Cerceau, on the basis of which Carvallo created a modern garden.

Two plantings are made every year: one in the spring, remaining from March to June, the second in the summer, remaining from June to October. Approximately 40 types of vegetables belonging to eight botanical families are used each year. Here you can not find potatoes, which are an anachronism for the garden of the XVI century. The arrangement of vegetables changes with each planting, while observing, on the one hand, the need for a harmonious combination of color and shape, and, on the other hand, horticultural requirements, in accordance with which a 3-year alternation of plantings is necessary so as not to deplete the soil. Irrigation is carried out by dug in automatic watering system.

Behind the garden, there is a vista of the village with the bell tower of the Romanesque church. The kitchen garden is perhaps the most unusual part of Villandry's garden ensemble, with large, multi-coloured stalls made up of vegetables and fruit trees. This layout dates back to ancient times. In the XVI century. the first botanical gardens were created, in which rare plants were grown, originating from the countries of America, unknown until then. The plants were placed in ornamental gardens, where their development and acclimatization were monitored. Villandry's garden garden adheres to this ancient tradition.

Do not forget about the traditional for France roses. There are a lot of them, they are colorful and very beautiful. And to convey in words the smell standing in the air is impossible, it is something divine. I want to inhale the aroma, standing in the air, with full breasts. Stop and breathe. Fantastic!

To visit these unique gardens, coming to Villandry is a must! The castle hosts various flower festivals. You can find the schedule of events on the official website of the castle. The owners of the castle, the heirs of Dr. Carvallo, who died in 1936, opened a school of garden craftsmen in Villandry, which still exists today.

Tip: Don't forget to bring bread with you. In the remains of the moat that once surrounded the castle, very voracious fish swim!

In the castle you can see the dining room, staircase and art gallery. Of course, none of the tourists remains indifferent when examining the gardens. If you wish, you can organize an exhibition or a conference, a seminar in the castle by booking a place in advance.

There are many ways to get to Villandry Castle. From Paris by car take the A10 to Saumur and from there take the A85 to Villandry. By train from Montparnasse station to Tours, and from there by taxi.
From Nantes by car take the A11 road and then the A85 highway. By train to Tours or Saint-Pierre-de-Cora, then by taxi.
From Tours, in addition to a taxi in July and August, there are also public transport. It is also recommended to use a bicycle along the Loire on a special path.

You can contact the castle administration:
Tel: 02 47 50 02 09
Fax: 02 47 50 12 85

France: Castle of Villandry (Castles of the Loire)

Villandry Castle differs from other castles of the Loire with its amazing three-level gardens, which have no analogues anywhere else in the world!

The fortress of Villandry stood on this site for a long time, it was here on July 4, 1189 that the historic meeting of the King of France Philip Augustus with the English monarch Henry II Plantagenet took place, as a result of which the peace agreement of Azay-le-Rideau was signed.

In the 16th century, Jean le Breton settled here - the personal secretary of Francis I, who oversaw the construction of the residences of Chambord and Fontainebleau.

Feeling all his importance, Le Breton decided to make himself comfortable, for which he demolished all the ancient buildings except for the central donjon and erected in their place a chic Renaissance castle in the shape of a horseshoe.

Villandry Castle was completed in 1536, making it the last Renaissance castle in the Loire Valley.

The courtyard of the new castle, surrounded on both sides by a gallery of arcades, faces the Loire, and both of its wings are still considered a model of Renaissance architecture.

Villandry also owes his gardens to the royal secretary, who spent quite a long time in Italy as an ambassador, where he studied the intricacies of the art of landscaping from the paintings of Italian Renaissance artists.

As a result, taking on the creation of unique gardens that have no analogues anywhere else in France, Le Breton created a truly amazing composition, consisting of three levels…

On the upper terrace, which is a water mirror, the royal secretary laid out an orchard with cozy paths passing between the trees.

On the middle terrace, located approximately at the level of the first floor of the castle, he arranged the so-called "Gardens of Love", which will be discussed below.

On the lower terrace, the Scot has arranged an ornamental vegetable garden, in multi-colored flower beds of which vegetables, such as pumpkin, cabbage, carrots and beets, and fruit trees, dominated by apple and pear trees, are closely huddled.

From here you have a beautiful view of the village with a high bell tower of the Romanesque church, and low fountains in the form of eight-pointed stars, originally used to water plants and trees, complete the landscape.

One of the terraces leads to the Audience Pavilion - a kind of gazebo where you can hide from the heat.

The gardens are surrounded by a canal that serves both for irrigation and for framing.

Villandry's "Gardens of Love" are 4 regular squares: the northwestern one is planted in the form of hearts struck by arrows and personifies passionate love; plants of yellow shades are planted in the northeast square, which should represent infidelity; the southwestern sector consists of hearts separated by flames, symbolizing tender feelings; the southeast square is planted with sword-points and blood-red flowers, personifying tragic love. The picture is completed by three large diamond-shaped arrays on the edge of the terrace, depicting the Languedoc, Maltese and Basque crosses.

Let's walk a little more through the gardens of Villandry.

Villandry Castle remained in the possession of the Le Breton family for more than two centuries, until 1754, when it passed into the possession of the royal ambassador, the Marquis de Castellane, who decided to "keep up with the times" and equipped the interiors in the style of the latest fashions of the 18th century. As a result, the beautiful colonnades on the ground floor were replaced by faceless walls of kitchens and corridors, and graceful Renaissance windows were "diversified" with arches and balconies.

This castle would have survived to our time, if not for the initiative of Dr. Joaquim Carvalho, who decided to restore the unique Renaissance look of Villandry. Thanks to Carvalho, the restoration of the castle began in 1906, during which the windows were restored to their original appearance, the colonnades of the first floor were restored and the luxurious gardens were replanted. The whims of the Marquis de Castellane are now only reminiscent of the interiors and the southern facade remade by him.

Let's walk a little through the castle interiors. By the way, in most rooms you can find chairs and armchairs of the 18th century, upholstered in silk from the famous factory in Tours, which is still engaged in the production of this fabric.

The dining room, remodeled by the Marquis de Castellane in the spirit of the 18th century, lost the old tapestries on the walls, which were replaced with panels from the time of Louis XV, and the marble floor was covered with parquet.

The bedrooms on the first floor were traditionally reserved for the owner and his guests. They were also restored, but only the interiors of the 18th century were restored, because. to our time, there is no evidence of how these rooms looked before the alterations of Castellano.

This flamboyant room once belonged to Napoleon's younger brother, Prince Jérôme, who owned the Château de Villandry for several years during the Imperial period. Accordingly, the design and furniture of this room are in the imperial style: mahogany furniture, red silk curtains and draperies, and military signs and spears on the walls.

And in this bedroom lived the wife of Dr. Carvalho, Ann Coleman. Here you can see portraits of three of the couple's six children.

At the corners of Villandry's residence are four living rooms, each with a unique dome. The ceiling of the oriental living room was created in Toledo in the 15th century and is a pattern of many layers of wood covered with gilding.

During the restoration of Joaquim Carvalho, only one of these ceilings was restored in the palace, the other three adorn the exhibitions of prestigious international museums today.

It took a whole year to reassemble this ceiling from 3,600 individual pieces. Built in the Mudéjar style by Moorish craftsmen for their Spanish patrons, this ceiling combines decorative elements from both Christian and Moorish art: Franciscan cords, shells, flowers and royal coats of arms are mixed with intricate patterns, gilding and arabesques.

The tower of the castle allows you to look at the Villandry garden from a bird's eye view. In addition, it offers a beautiful view of the valley, through which the Loire and Cher flow in parallel for almost fifteen kilometers. This landscape is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.