Château du Lude

Le Lude, France

The Château du Lude is one of the many great châteaux of the Loire Valley in France. Le Lude is the most northerly château of the Loire Valley and one of the last important historic castles in France, still inhabited by the same family for the last 260 years. The château is testimony to four centuries of French architecture, as a stronghold transformed into an elegant house during the Renaissance and the 18th century. The monument is located in the valley of Le Loir. Its gardens have evolved throughout the centuries. It is a harmonious combination of French design and an English-style landscape, with a rose garden, topiaries, a labyrinth and a botanical walk.

The original fortress was built between the 10th and 11th centuries on the banks of the river Loir in order to defend Anjou from the incursions of the Normans and then the English during the Hundred Years War.

Louis XI's chamberlain, Jehan de Daillon, took possession of the Lude estates at the end of the 15th century. He employed Italian artists to convert the fortress into a residence.

In 1751, Le Lude became the property of Joseph Duvelaër, head of the Council of The French East India Company. His niece, the Marquise de la Vieuville, built the classical wing in the style of Louis XVI and defended the château during the French Revolution. Her descendants, the Talhouët-Roy, carried out extensive works of restoration throughout the 19th century. Le Lude has been passed down to the current occupants Count and Countess Louis-Jean de Nicolaÿ, who have carried on its tradition of restoration and decoration.

References:

Comments

Your name



Details

Founded: 13th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in France
Historical period: Late Capetians (France)

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.3/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Frances Banton (2 years ago)
This is a pretty chateau with a letter from Marie Antoinette and locks of her and her children's hair! No photos inside the castle but lovely grounds to wander in.
Baggyarse (2 years ago)
A great Chateau to visit with alot of period features and with plenty to see and beautiful gardens. So many details to see. We'll worth the entrance fee ,don't get caught taking pictures with your phone we got told off in the main hall...
Winter Bren (2 years ago)
This was an accidental find that was wonderful. The family still lives in the chateau. Beautiful building. Each of the 4 sides is done in a different style. Large park with stables and an orangey. The family dog was wandering around the park.
Charlotte Bufton (2 years ago)
Beautiful gardens leading down to the banks of Le Loire which you can walk along trough shady trees for some way. Flower festival was happening the day we visited. Such an array on sale ! €9 entrance to gardens and part of the chateau. Money well spent
Andrew Larkin (2 years ago)
Interesting rooms inside, though not many open to the public. Extensive grounds with topiary, trees etc. Not very much in the way of "English gardens". No parking on site, but nearby.
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Beckov Castle

The Beckov castle stands on a steep 50 m tall rock in the village Beckov. The dominance of the rock and impression of invincibility it gaves, challenged our ancestors to make use of these assets. The result is a remarkable harmony between the natural setting and architecture.

The castle first mentioned in 1200 was originally owned by the King and later, at the end of the 13th century it fell in hands of Matúš Èák. Its owners alternated - at the end of the 14th century the family of Stibor of Stiborice bought it.

The next owners, the Bánffys who adapted the Gothic castle to the Renaissance residence, improved its fortifications preventing the Turks from conquering it at the end of the 16th century. When Bánffys died out, the castle was owned by several noble families. It fell in decay after fire in 1729.

The history of the castle is the subject of different legends.