General & History
This 18th century Loire Valley chateau sits splendidly in the centre of 40 acres of gardens, meadows and woodland, and is surrounded by 4,000 acres of unspoilt woods with an extensive network of paths for walking and riding. Guests can explore the grounds and enjoy a relaxing stroll through the woods. We even have deer from the forest that come up incredibly close to the chateau.
The chateau has six luxury suites available to hire, all with en-suites. There is a terrace at each end of the chateau for catching the morning or afternoon sun. The chateau experience changes over the year with the seasons, allowing guests to enjoy a link with nature: the spring blooms of the bluebells and magnolias and the wild flowers in summer, followed by the stunning autumnal colours of the trees, ferns and heather and the crisp clear days of winter when snow covers the ground.
The chateau was constructed in 1797 on XVIth century foundations for a Prussian Prince and his wife. It is a renaissance style chateau with incredible symmetry and precise architectural detail. The chateau was built for entertaining the elite of France and Europe. Its interior is full of luxurious furnishings and impressive renaissance fireplaces, complemented by parquet floors, intricate plastering, and original wood panelling. The magnificent reception rooms have floor to ceiling double aspect 5 metre high windows, filling the rooms with sunshine both morning and afternoon. Guests can discover their own favourite place for reading, relaxing, or enjoying a drink in the spacious living rooms and the grand hall and balcony.
At the beginning of the 20th century the chateau was bought by Calman Levi, a famous wealthy french publisher, as a vacation residence. He entertained many people at the chateau and Marcel Proust (1871 - 1922), the famous french intellectual, novelist and critic, was a regular visitor to the chateau. Proust is best known as the author of "In Search of Lost Time", a monumental piece of work comprising seven volumes spanning some 3,200 pages. In his day, Proust was claimed to be the greatest novelist of the 20th century. It is highly likely he penned some of his works whilst staying at the chateau.