Sunday, August 31, 2014

Château Gaillard


Here is another château in Amboise that has generally been unknown to the locals and certainly to the tourists.  But it is now being somewhat "rediscovered" following the purchase and the start of renovations by a new owner in recent years.  Since it is privately owned, it has not been open to the public.  However, this summer, the owner has allowed access to the grounds and the first floor of the château, the only floor that has been almost completely restored.  They have done a magnificent job of the renovation.

The château has an amazing history.  It was built by Charles VIII at the end of the 15th century.  It continued to be used by the royal families through the 16th century.  There's way too much interesting history to tell here, but for you Francophones, here is a link to the owner's blog and a Wikipedia link that will tell story.   (Note that the English side of Wikipedia has an article about another château with same name but not this one.)  I don't know what the future holds for this little gem.  I can only hope that it will be open to the public in the future, at least from time to time.

5 comments:

  1. Well I imagine the English Wikipedia link is about Château Gaillard on the Seine nearer my neck of the woods. Of course, I had never heard of this one, on dirait une partie troglodyte, non ? Il est superbe, et me voilà tombée amoureuse des vitraux...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Chateau Gaillard is a classic Stuart, can only imagine how much it would cost to restore a building this size.. I suppose as you say.. section by section.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Nice little cottage! I wonder how much it costs to fix up an old castle.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank you for your intesrest in this lost royal jewel and have a look on the blog the important restauration caöpaign of this winter , SCI Dom Pacello

    ReplyDelete