In this part, which I announced a few days ago, I will show you another castle of the Loire Valley. Considering my dislike of tourist attractions, crushed by millions of feet, it would be strange to expect that we will stop there. This is one of the most famous French castles, stories about it and its photographs are packed with tons of paper guides and terabytes on the Internet.
But I still included it in the route. There are several good reasons for this. And Villandry not only did not disappoint us, but also became a decoration of our vacation and route.
So what were the compelling reasons that prompted me to add Villandry to the route? What's so unique about it?
First, the gardens. I love all kinds of gardens and plants. I love tomatoes - sniff and eat; flowers - to smell, admire and photograph; regular gardens - to inspect, rustle pebbles underfoot on the paths and admire the grace of forms and the skill of the masters of topiary art; English parks- well, you understand already ..
I am especially interested in parks and gardens, which are not just filled with plants, but created with some meaning, idea. The Villandry gardens are just such an amazing work of art. This is a picturesque canvas, a theatrical stage, and a living embodiment of legends, in which plants play the main roles.
(photo from here)
Secondly, the history of the castle. But not that part of it, in which the crowned persons and intrigues of the courtiers (which, by the way, were never here), but the period of restoration, reconstruction, - in fact, the story of one family who devoted their whole life to the revival, recreation of this castle and its gardens ... And they did it with incredible scrupulousness and love, with careful and deep penetration into the essence, into the idea and design.
Well finally , this castle was radically different from the chamber and delicate, like a lady's box, Aze-le-Rideau, which we have already visited (if suddenly someone did not read it).
Generally speaking, the Loire Castles is a separate tourist attraction offered by any travel agency. I didn't want to join the general tourist carousel stream, so for the vacation program I selected several castles that would be as different as possible from each other. In the end, although they were turned into a lollipop licked to a gloss, into an emasculated set, they still have real story real people, a series of times, feelings, emotions and events.
So why is Villandry unique? Well, first of all, it is not a royal residence, and not even a gift to some courtesan or favorite. The first owner was Jean Le Breton - Minister of Finance under Francis I.
Once there was a feudal fortress, in the dungeon of which on July 4, 1189, a peace treaty was signed between King Henry II Plantagenet, who had admitted defeat, and King Philip Augustus of France. Exactly two days after this, Henry II died.
And it was on the ruins of this fortress that Jean Le Breton began construction in 1532. He was fond of architecture, had an excellent taste, and as a result, Villandry turned out to be harmonious, graceful, perfectly fit into the landscape and rather laconic, devoid of so fashionable at that time turrets, conical roofs and other "fancy".
By the way, part of the donjon, where the famous document was signed, remained. This architectural element, like the battlements on the upper part of the wall, recalls the historical purpose of the predecessor fortress of Villandry.
Jean Le Breton was ambassador to Rome, where he became interested in architecture, studied with interest the art of arranging gardens. And then he applied all this with taste and great success in Villandry. However, the subsequent owners for many decades did not care much about the preservation of this beauty. And by the beginning of the 20th century, when Joachim Carvallo came to inspect it, the castle, due to the changes and added windows, looked more like a barracks, and there was no trace of the garden.
Joachim Carvallo at that time was a promising scientist, a physician who, being a favorite student of the laureate Carl Richet Nobel Prize, under his leadership he was engaged in research in the field of physiology of digestion. But he gave up a promising career, bought Villandry and, together with his wife Anne Coleman, an American from a wealthy family of industrialists, began to recreate the original appearance of the castle.
(photo from here)
He delved deep into historical documents, looked for eyewitness accounts, conducted entire research, supervised the work of masons and gardeners, and in the end he succeeded incredibly! Several interactive structures are now installed in the garden, allowing all visitors, using the footage of the chronicle, to get an idea of the amount of work that Mr. Carvallo had to do.
In 1924 he founded the "Historical House" society, which united all the owners of such real estate. And it was he who initiated the idea to open these castles to the public. It opened Villandry to visitors in 1920. Now his work is continued by his great-grandson Henri Carvallo.
We started our tour with the interiors. There is something to see. Genuine household items, furniture, beautiful parquet flooring, a splendid collection of paintings. And, of course, beautiful views from the windows overlooking the garden and vegetable garden.
And my favorite topic is the kitchen! Copper, shiny sides of pots and pans, paths on the stone floor, trampled over the centuries, a stove, a light aroma of smoked prunes and dumpy chairs - all my favorite, yes.
Nursery with a cradle.
Bedroom with windows overlooking the vegetable garden.
Children's bedroom with a row of books on the shelf, toys and a cozy bed.
And a playroom with a huge dollhouse in the shape of Villandry himself and a glove puppet theater.
Another treasure is the ceiling in the East Living Room. It was brought here by Carvallo in 1905. This ceiling was part of the Count's Palace of Makeda, built in the 15th century in Toledo. The palace was dismantled, and three of its four Moorish wooden, inlaid ceilings are now in Madrid in the National Archaeological Museum, and the fourth, thanks to Mr. Carvallo, can be seen by all visitors to Villandry. This is just a masterpiece! Incredibly delicate, complex work, giving rise to a fantastic play of volumes, color and light. Very nice!
And flowers everywhere! In each room there are several vases filled with fresh, fragrant, fragrant, cut here in the garden, bouquets.
The Villandry Gardens are unique. I didn’t make a reservation - it’s the gardens. Because this is not one garden, but a whole complex of different gardens. Apothecary garden with herbs and medicines, Ornamental garden, Love garden, Music garden, Water garden, Sun garden, created recently. They are all full of symbolism, each has its own philosophy and legend. You can and should walk along them for hours, enjoying and finding something amazing and beautiful at every step.
The Garden of Love, consisting of "pictograms" in which Passionate Love, Windy Love, Tragic Love are encrypted.
The Garden-Garden was created in the image and likeness of the monastery "garden" gardens. Here, all the ornaments are made up of vegetables, herbs, herbs selected according to the color. The garden is planted with vegetables twice a year. Each year, the exposition changes in accordance with considerations of harmony, preservation of soil fertility and chemical-free farming. Forty types of vegetables and herbs are planted here each season, irrigated by an automatic system located below the surface of the earth.
From different points from the garden and from different rooms of the castle open different types to the garden, each one incredibly good.
There is also a small shop where you can buy seeds and seedlings of everything that is grown in the Villandry gardens.
I could not resist and brought from there a wonderful souvenir - sets of seeds. This year, due to any unpleasant events, it was not possible to sow them, but they have a long shelf life - next year I will still have time to test them. If you are not ashamed to show the result, I will definitely demonstrate it to you, do not hesitate!
In the meantime, they lie and remind that dreams and hard work can give a bountiful harvest of joy and beauty that people can enjoy for many, many generations to come.
“The castle garden of Villandry is one of the most visited gardens. He gained worldwide fame thanks to a grandiose decorative garden. The art of the kitchen garden originated here a long time ago.
A bit of history, or how the art of the kitchen garden originated.
... On July 4, 1189, King Henry II Plantazhene of England came to the King of France Philip Augustus to admit his defeat. In the medieval fortress, the "Peace of Colombier" is signed (that's how Villandry was called then).
... End of the 15th century. The young King of France Charles VIII had to retreat in a military campaign with Italy. The main "trophy" is the introduction of the king to the high art of the Renaissance. He writes with delight to the Duke of Bourbon: “My brother, you cannot imagine how beautiful gardens I have seen in this city. Truly, it seems that only Adam and Eve are lacking for this earthly paradise ... ”Seeing the Italian palaces and gardens, the king decides to have similar ones. This is how Italian art takes root in France, and with it the Renaissance park. 
... Monastic gardens dominate in medieval Europe. But French gardeners of the 16th century need a special garden, in which there is a place for roses and outlandish vegetables brought from America. Thus, two currents were combined - the French monastery garden and the Italian, and the garden itself was called "ornamental garden".
Villandry is one of the last Renaissance castles on the banks of the Loire. From the old fortress of the 12th century, only the donjon and the foundation on which the new castle was built in 1536 by the Minister of Finance of Francis I, Jean Le Breton, have been left. Previously, he was ambassador to Rome, and in his spare time he studied the art of gardens.
The descendants of J. Le Breton kept Villandry until 1754. Then the new owner, the Marquis de Casteland, rebuilds both the castle and the courtyard.
... XIX century. The traditional castle garden was destroyed and an English park was created in its place. ...
... The beginning of the XX century - the castle and the garden fell into decay, are subject to demolition.
Renaissance, or an embodied love story for the garden.
... 1906. Villandry was saved from death by Doctor Joachim Carvallo, a Spaniard by birth, a nobleman, a most educated person. He was fascinated by the picturesque nature of this place, the hills covered with forest and "embracing" the ancient castle and the marvelous garden. A connoisseur of history and architecture, Carvallo decides to revive this estate in the spirit of the Renaissance. He was so captivated by the idea that he abandons a brilliant career and devotes his life exclusively to Villandry. 
18 years of hard work and the castle has been freed from the layers of reconstructions of the last three centuries. Now it looks like in early XVI century, when the style of Henry IV reigned. The interior decoration reflects the owner's taste: exquisite Spanish furniture of the 18th century, a family collection of paintings from the 16th-18th centuries with paintings by Goya, Velazquez, Murillo. And also - worthy of surprise vaults of the ceiling from the Moorish mosque, bought by Carvallo. They were collected from 3000 fragments ...
But most of the work was invested in the revival of the garden, which inscribed his name in history. The bottom line is that French Renaissance gardens have either fallen into disrepair or been converted into baroque ones. Later, most of them were replaced by English ones. landscape parks... This destroyed the charm of the French gardens. Therefore, creating a Renaissance garden was a valuable choice.
Meticulous, selfless work, knowledge of history, the search for disappeared sketches, drawings by Jeanne Androuet du Sersot (the best connoisseur of castles and gardens of those times), and the result exceeds all expectations - Villandry becomes the best garden in France during the Renaissance.
A walk in the garden, or a trip back in time.
The garden is split over three levels. You can take a look at it from above the watchtower, or belvedere. The lower level is occupied by a castle, surrounded by a deep moat with water. Walkways connect the carriage area, the lower courtyard with the outbuilding (courdoner) and the castle. There are many fish in the water. Plump and nimble, she exposes her greedy mouths and curious eyes to the surface, crowding each other. 
The living rooms of the castle on the south side flow into the garden called the "Garden of Love". This ornamental garden is full of symbols-images inherent in that era. The colorful parterre is divided into 4 squares. The first embodies "Tender Love" - hearts are enveloped in a flame of love, in the center of the mask (they were dressed for the ball, which allowed any kind of conversation). The pattern is woven from sheared boxwood and is filled in the middle with red flowers. "Passionate love" - hearts struck by passion circle in a whirlwind of dance. "Frivolous love" - four fans in the corners symbolize the frivolity of feelings, between them there are horns of betrayal, and in the center of the letter are frivolous lovers. Everything is in yellow - symbols of treason. "Tragic love" - the blades of daggers and swords of the duelists. Red flowers - spilled blood.
Further, the parterre continues with squares with lilies and crosses - symbols of the victory of life over death: the Maltese cross, the Languedoc cross, the cross of the Basque Country.
Nearby, on the bank of the canal, there is an alley-pergola, where through the bunches of poured grapes one can see the "Garden of Music", another boxwood living room. Images of lyres, harps, candelabra are drowned in bluish-lilac sage, lavender, and it seems as if a blue haze is rising above them. The vine alley and the canal form the central axis of the park, dividing the ornamental garden and the vegetable garden of the Renaissance - business card Villandry.
Kitchen garden, or vegetable chess. 
The vegetable gardens are from the Middle Ages. Monks of many orders were famous as excellent gardeners and gardeners. It was believed that such work, like no other, purifies the human soul: after all, they were dealing with the earthly embodiment of the lost paradise.
In their abbeys, the monks planted vegetables in rectangular beds. The numerous crosses of the vegetable garden remind us of this long-standing culture. The garden itself consists of nine square beds of the same size, but with a different geometric pattern in the middle. Each square is further divided into four parts. Vegetables, spices, as if playing fabulous chess. Bluish onions, green curls of parsley, carrots, red cabbage, purple basil and green lettuce are combined in shape and color to create a pattern for the beds.
There are small fountains at the intersection of the vegetable garden paths. In former times, they symbolized an inexhaustible source of faith in Jesus Christ, and also had a utilitarian meaning - for watering and washing. The fountains are surrounded by characteristic (hemispherical) medieval pavilions. They were densely braided with roses. You sit on a bench in the depths of the niche of the gazebo, and a wave of aroma covers you ... The sun warmly warmly, the water of the fountain murmurs, the colorful carpet of the garden pleases the eye - real paradise... In the Middle Ages, plants were associated with allegorical overtones, which were of great importance. So red roses embodied love for God, white - the sorrow of the Virgin, yellow - her glory. Therefore, gardens were also decorated with roses. Over time, the roses planted here began to symbolize the monk who was digging the garden.
The plan of this part of the garden was developed by Carvallo, taking into account the found fragments of images of the garden of Benedictine monasteries of the 16th century. The idea - the creation of strict geometric shapes only from trees, bushes, flowers and vegetables - is brilliantly embodied! The clear visual frame of the garden is formed from boxwood - 52 km long! Each garden bed is a masterpiece framed by a flower border. It is complemented by a low hedge, along which cordons are planted with apple trees. 
There are plaques next to the plants with the names and history of their use. Amazing volumes, scrupulousness of work on the beds for almost a century. How much patience, soul and love have been invested in them! After all, two plantings are made here every year: one in the spring (it stays in the beds from March to June), the second in the summer - from June to November. About 40 types of vegetables are used every year (except potatoes). Their location changes with each planting so as not to deplete the soil, and corresponds to a three-year sequence. They strictly adhere to the harmonious combination of color and shape. All this is a huge work, because 250,000 seedlings are planted here every year.
Captured by a thousand lindens, or the ancient guardians of the family hearth.
The owner of the castle planted 1200 lindens on the territory of Villandry. They divide parts of the garden, surround it, or form alleys. Linden alley is amazing. You go under her shade and seem to find yourself in another world. Penumbra, silence, mystery.
Why did Carvallo choose linden? Even in ancient times, men worshiped oak, and women worshiped linden. V Western Europe linden tree is dedicated to the goddess Freya, the protector of the family hearth. It was considered a family tree; people gathered under it to solve common affairs. She was planted near castles, in city squares. Linden was known as a talisman for lightning. Later it also became a symbol of rural society. 
Parallel to the linden alley, there is a garden of medicinal herbs. According to the canons of the Middle Ages, it is located between the vegetable garden and the church. More than 30 types of herbs, which have long been used in family treatment, are planted in the beds of the pharmaceutical garden.
The route of walking through the labyrinth takes us to the upper terrace to the playground and the English-style flower garden. This is the kingdom of luxurious, very tall grasses and flowers.
Behind the dense linden wall, a new contrast is the water garden. In boulengrin, on the green velvet of the lawn, lies a giant Louis XV mirror - an artificial reservoir, the water of which is connected to a canal. Around the parterre area with small round reservoirs, paths. Everything is surrounded by steep slopes with perfect lawn. You involuntarily stop, staring at this beauty. And then the thought flashes - the water mirror is arranged here so that the exquisite beauty of the garden can admire itself in it.
Joachim Carvallo's heirs still live in the castle. They cherish and continue his work, which was the meaning of his whole life. "
Villandry Castle is located about 20 kilometers south-west of Tours, which is considered one of the jewels of Touraine. Once upon a time there was a vast Roman estate "Villa Andriaca", hence the name of the territory. The castle of Villandry, which was finally completed around 1536, is the last of the large castles to be built on the banks of the Loire during the Renaissance.
In 1000, for unknown reasons, the area was christened Colombier (French "dovecote"), however, not forever - in 1639 the historical name will return. But in the chronicle of the difficult relationship between France and England, the local fortress will get exactly under the “bird” name: on July 4, 1189, a few days before the death of Henry II Plantagenet, he signed here the so-called “Peace of the Doves” (Paix de Colombiers). This humiliating agreement with Philip Augustus marked the victory of the Capetian over their English vassals and the transfer to their disposal of many territories, including Touraine. A hint of birds remained in what is still called local residents: 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. Undoubtedly, his already sad condition worsened when, during 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 his worst enemy - the King of France. Filled with anger, King Henry II vowed to take cruel revenge on Richard, but died 3 days later, cursing his own traitorous 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 occupation in the field of finance and trade, he possessed considerable architectural knowledge. For several years he was the head of the construction works of the Chambord castle. As the 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 roosts"). Jean le Breton considered this name too general, and since he was in good standing at the king's court, he was allowed to change not only the name of the village and castle, but also his own title pronunciation. So Jean le Breton soon became known as "Monsignor 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 improve 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 resourceful, but he did not suffer the shameful fate of the owners of the Azeilé Rideau and Chenonceau castles, who lost their property. In 1619, his grandson Balthazar was even granted the noble title of "Marquis de Villandry".
The descendants of Jean le Breton preserved Villandry until 1754, when the castle became the property of the Marquis de Castellane, a royal ambassador and a descendant of a very famous Provencal noble family. By his order, classical-style outbuildings were made on both sides of the front yard. He also remade the interior of the castle, adapting it to the comfort standards of the 18th century: he decorated the windows, added balconies, and blocked off a part of the courtyard with a wall to accommodate the kitchen.
Villandry kept this species 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. We did not manage to save everything - 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 the Parc Monceau in Paris).
In 1906, the castle was acquired by the great-grandfather of the current owners, Dr. Joachim Carvallo, who headed the Owners' Association. historical monuments... He gives up a brilliant scientific career under the guidance of Professor Charles Richet (Nobel Prize in Medicine 1913) in order to devote his life exclusively to Villandry. He rescues the castle from destruction and recreates the gardens after the model of the 16th century garden. Finding the initial project created by Androis du Cerso, Carvallo recreated the structure of the park, drew straight paths along which lawns with flowers are located, planted lime avenues, 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 completely in harmony with the architecture of the Renaissance castle, gardens that we can enjoy to this day.
Joachim Carvallo was also the founder in 1924 of the Historic House, the first association to bring together 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. Its courtyard is not fenced off by castle buildings, but on the contrary is completely open from the outside. With this configuration, the castle absolutely lost its protective functions, and was a cozy mansion with magnificent views of the Cher River from its windows. Jean le Breton decided to preserve the main tower of the old fortress, thereby emphasizing the fact that the castle belongs to feudal times, organically fitting it into the complex of buildings of the Renaissance. The tower spiral staircase was redesigned to fully convey the flavor of the 12th century. Unlike Versailles, built a century later, the seemingly strict geometry of Villandry is actually 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 prominent representative of the late French Renaissance and the last castle on the Loire coast to be 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 castle's configuration 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 differ slightly in length and are located at different angles. On the ground 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 keep and admire beautiful view to the palace gardens and the Cher valley.
Although the gardens are best admired during a leisurely stroll, 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 spread over 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 a pharmacy garden. At the lowest level, there is a picturesque vegetable garden.
The Garden of Water, surrounded by linden trees, has a classic Louis XV style layout with a large mirror-like 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 for the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the reconstruction of the gardens by his great-grandfather Joaquin Carvalho. The garden of the sun has three parts. The "cloud room" is made up of shrubs and plants with blue and white flowers. A fountain in the shape of a star surrounds the "sun room", designed in yellow and orange tones. And the last "room" - "children's" - a playground for kids among the apple trees.
The part of the ornamental decorative garden, which is, as it were, a continuation of the castle's living rooms, is called the Gardens of Love. Artfully trimmed shrubs and flowers in four squares represent the different forms of this feeling: Fleeting, Passionate, Tender and Tragic love. From the left edge, if you look at the Gardens of Love from the belvedere, 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 a shorn shrub resembles some stringed instruments (lyre, harp), musical notes, and candelabra to illuminate the score.
Nine squares of the same size with different geometric patterns on the lower level - this is a garden-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 (monks often gave the beds a geometric shape, often the shape of a cross) and Italian (decorative elements: gazebos, fountains and flower beds). Such ornamental gardens were described by the famous architect of the 16th century, Androuet du Sersot, and Joaquim Carvalho recreated them at the beginning of the 20th century.
The furnishings of the 18th century have been restored in the building. The castle tower overlooks the Loire and Cher valleys. Climbing the roof is a must in order to be able to take in all the Villandry gardens.
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 have been grown around the castle, which are in complete harmony with nature and stone.
Joachim Carvallo and his wife collected 17th century Spanish painting - 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 approximately 50 paintings and the current owners are keen 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 Makeda, built in the 15th century in Toledo. This house had 4 corner living rooms, each with a dome with wooden multi-colored gilded caissons. The palace was destroyed in 1905.
Now three ceilings from this palace are preserved in the largest international museums. Well, the fourth was brought by Joachim Carvallo to the castle of Villandry in the form of 3600 pieces. It took a year to re-fit this puzzle. This Mudejar-style Spanish-Moorish ceiling was created by Moorish craftsmen for Spanish owners and is a fusion of decoratively significant elements of Christian and Moorish art. Franciscan strings, shells of Saint Jacques from Compostel, ornament of flowers and heraldry of the sovereigns are combined with stucco, gilding and Arabic script.
In the dining room there is an interesting fireplace with a chimney shaped like a palm tree.
The main thing for which it is worth going to Villandry is undoubtedly its gardens. They are planted with 1150 lindens, and the total length of hedges is approximately 52 km. Every year, 250,000 flower and vegetable seedlings are transplanted in the gardens. Weeding is done entirely by hand so as not to damage the very fragile roots of the boxwood. The flowers are planted in such a way that each variety blooms in its own season, replacing others.
Le Breton, who served as Ambassador Francis I to Italy, had a chance to see many gardens, including the Villa d'Este and Lante, designed by the famous masters of the Italian Renaissance, gardens that organically merged with the architecture of the buildings, which served as an accompaniment to them. These Italian gardens were characterized by strict geometric lines and a pronounced architectonic solution. Founded according to the Italian model, the French gardens occupy, however, large areas, make the fortress walls unnecessary and, as it were, reduce the external volumes of the buildings. Their wide alleys are lined with flowering parterres, the outlines of which are emphasized by a hedge of trimmed bushes. Villandry Gardens meet these requirements perfectly.
The gardens are laid out over three levels. The topmost - first level is Water Garden (Jardin d'eau)... Inspired by classicism, it is placed around a large space of water, created in the form of a Louis XV mirror. The mirror is a pond with rare aquatic plants. Water is taken from the pond both for irrigation and for the functioning of the fountains. Water garden - perfect place for leisurely reflections 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 grasses are planted among short-cut shrubs that form a whimsical ornament.
By designing Garden of love, the creator of the park wanted hedges to represent the kinds of love. According to the author, there are four of them. '
Tender love- hearts, separated in the corners by the fires of a love flame. In the center there are masks that were worn over the eyes during balls and allowed any kind of 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. The arrays of boxwood are tangled and form a labyrinth, there is also a hint of dance here.
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 blood spilled in the struggle
Second garden - Garden of Music- symbolizes various musical instruments in the orchestra. The large triangles represent the lyres, along with the harps. Between the lyres there are candlesticks to illuminate the musical score.
Third garden - Herbal Garden... As in medieval gardens, it is located between the vegetable garden and the church. The garden contains over 30 types of spicy, medicinal and aromatic herbs. All these herbs were considered by our ancestors to be beneficial for family life. All of them you can identify thanks to the signs.
And finally, the third level - Vegetable garden (Rotager), the area of which is 12.5 thousand square meters. m. It consists of 9 square beds of the same size, but with different geometric motives. These square beds are planted with vegetables that match colors (leek blue, cabbage and beet red, carrot green jade) to give the impression of a multi-colored chess board... Vegetable plantings are interspersed with apple and pear trees, the branches of which form trellises of alleys.
Fountains, originally intended for irrigation, add to the decoration of this green landscape. In front of the plants there are information signs explaining their symbolic meanings: cabbage - promiscuity, pumpkin - fertility, etc. In addition, they inform about medicinal properties 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 the Villandry garden remind us of these monastery roots. To revive the gardens, the monks added roses. Planted symmetrically, they, according to the old tradition, symbolize a monk digging a vegetable patch.
The Italian influence brings decorative elements to this monastery garden: fountains, gazebos entwined with greenery, garden beds with flowers. French gardeners of the 16th century combine these two trends - the monastic French and the Italian and create the garden that they needed for roses and new vegetables brought from America. They call it "ornamental garden". This is exactly what was in the project du Cerceau, on the basis of which Carvallo created the modern vegetable garden.
Two plantings are made every year: one in the spring, remaining from March to June, the second in summer, remaining from June to October. Approximately 40 types of vegetables are used each year from eight botanical families. You can't find potatoes here, which is an anachronism for a 16th century garden. 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 a dug-in automatic irrigation system.
Behind the vegetable garden there is a vista of the village with the bell tower of the Romanesque church. The vegetable garden is perhaps the most unusual part of the Villandry garden ensemble, with large multicolored parterres 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 originating from the countries of America, unknown until that time, were grown. Plants were placed in ornamental gardens, where their development and acclimatization were monitored. Villandry's orchard adheres to this old tradition.
Do not forget about traditional for France roses... There are a lot of them, they are colorful and very beautiful. And to convey in words the smell in the air is impossible, it is something divine. I want to breathe in the aroma in the air, deeply. Stand and inhale. Fantastic!
To visit these unique gardens, it is a must to come to Villandry! The castle hosts various flower festivals. The schedule of events can be found on the official website of the castle. The owners of the castle, the heirs of Dr. Carvallo, who died in 1936, opened a garden crafts school in Villandry, which still exists today.
Tip: do not forget to bring bread with you. In the remnants of the moat that once surrounded the castle, there are very voracious fish swimming!
In the castle you can see the dining room, staircase and art gallery. Of course, none of the tourists remains indifferent when exploring the gardens. If desired, you can organize an exhibition or conference, a seminar in the castle, having reserved a place in advance.
There are different ways to get to Villandry Castle. From Paris by car on the A10 road to Saumur and from there on the A85 road 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 motorway. By train to Tours or Saint-Pierre-de-Cora, then by taxi.
From Tour, in addition to taxis in July and August, there are also public transport... It is also recommended to use a bike along the Loire along a special path.
You can contact the administration of the castle:
Tel: 02 47 50 02 09
Fax: 02 47 50 12 85
France: Castle Villandry (Loire Castles)
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 Villandry fortress stood at this place for a long time, it was here on July 4, 1189 that the historic meeting of the King of France Philippe-Augustus with the English monarch Henry II Plantagenet took place, as a result of which the Azay-le-Rideau peace agreement was signed.
In the 16th century, Jean le Breton, the personal secretary of Francis I, who oversaw the construction of the Chambord and Fontainebleau residences, settled here.
Feeling all his importance, le Breton decided to make himself comfortable, for which he demolished all the ancient buildings except the central keep and erected in their place a chic Renaissance horseshoe-shaped castle.
The construction of Villandry Castle was completed in 1536, making it the last Renaissance castle to be found in the Loire Valley.
The inner 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 examples of Renaissance architecture.
Villandry also owes his gardens to the royal secretary, who spent a long time in Italy as an ambassador, where he studied the intricacies of the art of landscaping from paintings by 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 king's 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 built the so-called "Gardens of Love", which will be discussed below.
On the lower terrace, the Scotsman has arranged an ornamental garden, in the multi-colored flower beds of which vegetables such as pumpkin, cabbage, carrots and beets, and fruit trees, among which are dominated by apple and pear trees, closely huddle.
From here opens beautiful view to a village with a high bell tower of a Romanesque church, and the landscape is completed by low fountains in the form of eight-pointed stars, originally used for watering plants and trees.
One of the terraces overlooks 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 represents passionate love; in the northeastern square, plants are planted in yellow shades, which should represent infidelity; the southwest sector consists of hearts separated by tongues of flame, symbolizing tender feelings; the southeastern square is planted with sword-points and blood-red flowers, personifying tragic love. The picture is completed by three large diamond-shaped masses at the edge of the terrace, depicting Languedoc, Maltese and Basque crosses.
Let's walk a little more through the Villandry Gardens.
The castle of Villandry remained in the ownership of the le Breton family for over two centuries, until 1754, when it came into the possession of the royal ambassador, the Marquis de Castellana, who decided to "keep up with the times" and furnished the interiors in the latest fashion 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 is how the castle would have survived to our time, if not for the initiative of Dr. Joaquim Carvalho, who decided to return the unique Renaissance appearance 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 transplanted anew. The whims of the Marquis de Castellan are now reminiscent of only the interiors and the southern façade that he has altered.
Let's walk a little through the castle interiors. By the way, in most rooms you can find such chairs and armchairs of the 18th century, upholstered with silk from the famous factory in Tours, which is still engaged in the production of this fabric.
The dining room, redesigned by the Marquis de Castellana in the spirit of the 18th century, lost as a result the old tapestries on the walls, which were replaced by panels from the times of Louis XV, and the marble floor was covered with parquet.
The bedrooms on the ground floor were traditionally reserved for the owner and his guests. They were also restored, but only the interiors of the 18th century were restored. to this day, there is no evidence of how these rooms looked before Castellano's alterations.
This bright room once belonged to Napoleon's younger brother, Prince Jerome, who owned the castle of Villandry for several years during the period of the Empire. Accordingly, the design and furnishings of this room are imperial: mahogany furniture, red silk curtains and draperies, and military insignia and spears on the walls.
And in this bedroom lived Dr. Carvalho's wife, Anne Coleman. Here you can see portraits of three of the couple's six children.
At the corners of the Villandry residence are four living rooms, each with a unique dome. The ceiling of the eastern 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 by Joaquim Carvalho, only one of these ceilings was restored in the palace, the other three adorn exhibitions of prestigious international museums today.
It took a full year to reassemble this ceiling from 3,600 individual pieces. Built in Mudejar 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 intermingled with intricate patterns, gilding and arabesques.
The castle tower offers a bird's eye view of the Villandry garden. It also offers a beautiful view of the valley, along which the Loire and Cher run parallel for almost fifteen kilometers. This landscape is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
About the castle
Any trip to France necessarily involves a visit to Paris. But if the tour is not limited to Paris alone, then the famous castles of the Loire are almost always visited. The castles are famous for the fact that they were built mainly in the Renaissance, and were the residences of the French kings and their closest relatives. Castle of Villandry (Chateau de Villandry) is one of such structures, built not so much for the military as for a beautiful, majestic and comfortable (at the level of those centuries) life.
The castle is located near the Loire. For a long time, there was an even more ancient structure that served as a fortress in the vicinity of Villandry Castle. Here in 1189 the historic meeting of Philippe-Augustus, King of France, with Henry II Plantagenet, King of England took place, at which the two monarchs signed a peace treaty. Several centuries later, the fortress became the property of Jean Le Breton, who, on behalf of King Francis I, built the castles of Fontainebleau and Chambord. Breton decided to build a castle for himself. This is how Villandry Castle appeared.
Architecture
Villandry Castle has an elegant and festive look, because it was not built for the war. From the old fortress, only the donjon has survived, around which a new U-shaped building was erected, the ceremonial courtyard of which overlooked the Loire. Both wings of the building are built in the Renaissance style, in which all the palaces were built at the beginning of the 16th century. The facade looks at the world with large windows with pilasters and capitals, is decorated with an elegant frieze and other stucco and carved decorations, moreover, the windows of the facade are designed in such a way that they introduce some element of asymmetry into the wings of the palace. Arched galleries run along the sides of the courtyard.
The next owner of the castle, the Marquis de Castellane, introduced additional decorations to the architecture of the castle: arched windows, added balconies, closed the colonnade of the first floor and arranged kitchens and utility rooms there. Subsequently, the castle was restored to its original forms as far as possible. The interiors have mostly survived from the 18th century.
The castle is partially surrounded by a moat. However, the main attraction is not the moat, but the incomparable three-level garden. Le Breton, who designed the castle, saw many Italian gardens created by the famous Renaissance masters. The Italian gardens formed a single ensemble with the buildings, serving as an organic background for the palaces. Italian gardens are characterized by strict geometric shapes and wide avenues lined with trimmed bushes. French gardens differ from Italian ones in large sizes, so that buildings on their background look smaller than they really are. With such large gardens, fences become unnecessary.
At the very top of the Villandry Gardens, there are fruit trees and a wonderful pond that feeds the palace itself and the fountains on the lower levels. This site joins with a magnificent timber forest. The paths laid under the trees are barely visible. The middle terrace is on the same level with the halls of the first floor, it is an ornamental garden. And on the lower level there is a vegetable garden.
An ornamental garden is a garden of love. It is divided into four squares, in which the bushes are planted in the form of allegorical figures of love. In the northwest - a heart pierced by an arrow, denoting love-passion. In the northeastern square, bushes with yellow flowers depict horns, fans and love notes that symbolize adultery. Southwest is dedicated to tender love: hearts separated by flames and masquerade masks. In the southeast, love is tragic with red blood flowers and sword blades. The most South part The garden contains images of the Languedoc Cross, the Malta Cross and the Basque Country Cross.
The garden of love is fenced off from the garden by a moat, and then a charming view of the village with a church bell tower opens up. The garden is so skillfully planned that vegetables and fruit trees form large multicolored parterres. An additional decoration of the garden is fountains.
History
The castle was built for himself by the Secretary of State of the King of France Francis I Jean le Breton in the 16th century. A little later, it underwent a slight reconstruction, but basically the palace has come down to us in its original form thanks to the next owner of the castle, Dr. Carvalho. On his initiative, in 1906, an association of owners of historical monuments was created, which later allowed the castles to be opened for visits. Dr. Carvalho organized restoration work in the castle, restored the windows to their original appearance and renewed the gardens. The doctor did not change the interior of the castle.
Tourists
In the castle you can see the dining room, staircase and art gallery. Of course, none of the tourists remains indifferent when exploring the gardens. If desired, you can organize an exhibition or conference, a seminar in the castle, having reserved a place in advance.
Visit cost:
- Adults: castle and gardens - € 9.5; gardens - € 6.5;
- Adults with audio guide: castle and gardens - € 12.5; gardens - € 9.5;
- Short version: castle and gardens - € 5.5; gardens - € 4
- Reduced version with audio guide: castle and gardens - € 8.5; gardens - € 7
- Group of min. 15 people: castle and gardens - € 7; gardens - € 4.5
- Group of min. 15 people with audio guide: castle and gardens - € 10; gardens - € 7.5
Gardens open every day, all year round, from 9:00 to 18:00.
There are different ways to get to Villandry Castle. From Paris by car on the A10 road to Saumur and from there on the A85 road 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 motorway. By train to Tours or Saint-Pierre-de-Cora, then by taxi.
From Tours, in addition to taxis in July and August, public transport also goes to Villandry. It is also recommended to use a bike along the Loire along a special path.
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 Villandry fortress stood at this place for a long time, it was here on July 4, 1189 that the historic meeting of the King of France Philippe-Augustus with the English monarch Henry II Plantagenet took place, as a result of which the Azay-le-Rideau peace agreement was signed
In the 16th century, Jean le Breton, the personal secretary of Francis I, who oversaw the construction of the Chambord and Fontainebleau residences, settled here.
Feeling all his importance, le Breton decided to make himself comfortable, for which he demolished all the ancient buildings except the central keep and erected in their place a chic Renaissance horseshoe-shaped castle
The castle of Villandry was completed in 1536, making it the last Renaissance castle to be found in the Loire Valley
The inner courtyard of the new castle, surrounded on two sides by a gallery of arcades, faces the Loire, and both of its wings are still considered an example of Renaissance architecture
Villandry also owes his gardens to the royal secretary, who spent a long time in Italy as an ambassador, where he studied the intricacies of the art of landscaping from paintings by 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 Scotsman has arranged an ornamental garden, in the multi-colored flower beds of which vegetables such as pumpkin, cabbage, carrots and beets are closely huddled, and fruit trees, among which apple and pear trees prevail.
From here, a beautiful view of the village opens with a high bell tower of a Romanesque church, and the landscape is completed by low fountains in the form of eight-pointed stars, originally used for watering plants and trees.
One of the terraces overlooks the Audience Pavilion - a kind of gazebo where you can hide from the heat
The gardens are surrounded by a canal serving both irrigation and framing
Villandry's "Gardens of Love" are 4 regular squares: the northwestern one is planted in the form of hearts struck by arrows and represents passionate love; in the northeastern square, plants are planted in yellow shades, which should represent infidelity; the southwest sector consists of hearts separated by tongues of flame, symbolizing tender feelings; the southeastern square is planted with sword-points and blood-red flowers, personifying tragic love. The picture is completed by three large diamond-shaped arrays at the edge of the terrace, depicting Languedoc, Maltese and Basque crosses
Let's walk a little more through the Villandry Gardens
The castle of Villandry remained in the ownership of the le Breton family for over two centuries, until 1754, when it came into the possession of the royal ambassador, the Marquis de Castellana, who decided to "keep up with the times" and furnished the interiors in the latest fashion 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 is how the castle would have survived to our time, if not for the initiative of Dr. Joaquim Carvalho, who decided to return the unique Renaissance appearance 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 transplanted anew. The whims of the Marquis de Castellan are now reminded only of the interiors and the southern façade, which he has altered.
Let's walk a little through the castle interiors. By the way, in most rooms you can find such chairs and armchairs of the 18th century, upholstered with silk from the famous factory in Tours, which is still engaged in the production of this fabric.
The dining room, redesigned by the Marquis de Castellana in the spirit of the 18th century, lost as a result the old tapestries on the walls, which were replaced by panels from the times of Louis XV, and the marble floor was covered with parquet
The kitchen is the simplest room in the castle, with terracotta tiled floors, a large fireplace and stonework. Here you can see all the elements of the old kitchen: an oak table, copper pots and pans, and the like.
A large limestone staircase was built by the Marquis de Castellana in the courtyard, in place of the old octagonal staircase. The initials of the marquis can be seen on the iron railing.
The bedrooms on the ground floor were traditionally reserved for the owner and his guests. They were also restored, but only the interiors of the 18th century were restored. to our time, there is no evidence of how these rooms looked before the alterations of Castellano
This bright room once belonged to Napoleon's younger brother, Prince Jerome, who owned the castle of Villandry for several years during the period of the Empire. Accordingly, the design and furnishings of this room are imperial: mahogany furniture, red silk curtains and draperies, and military insignia and spears on the walls.
And in this bedroom lived Dr. Carvalho's wife, Anne Coleman. Here you can see portraits of three of the couple's six children.
At the corners of the Villandry residence are four living rooms, each with a unique dome. The ceiling of the eastern 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 by Joaquim Carvalho, only one of these ceilings was restored in the palace, the other three adorn exhibitions of prestigious international museums today.
It took a full year to reassemble this ceiling from 3,600 individual pieces. Constructed in Mudejar 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 intermingled with intricate patterns, gilding and arabesques
On the second floor there are two small children's bedrooms with small toys, old books, embroidered clothes and a cradle
The castle tower offers a bird's eye view of the Villandry garden. It also offers a beautiful view of the valley, along which the Loire and Cher run parallel for almost fifteen kilometers. This landscape is a UNESCO World Heritage Site
