Chateau de Villandry

About

Built in the early 16th century, Chateau de Villandry was the Loire Valley’s last Renaissance-style castle. After Napoleon purchased the estate for his brother in the early 19th century, the castle slowly fell into ruin. In 1906 Joachim Carvallo purchased the site and devoted himself to restoring the castle, and creating the exceptional Renaissance gardens seen today. There are several distinct garden districts, each meticulously organized. In the vegetable garden, the different edibles are all lined up in square hedge-boxes, while the ornamental garden creates intricate patterns through flowers and sculpted hedges. There’s also a peaceful water garden, the color-coordinated Sun Garden, and an herb garden of common medieval flora. The chateau’s interior is fully furnished in a refined, 18th century style. One room features a particularly stunning mauresque ceiling. And of course, there are sweeping views of the chateau’s gardens from the castle keep.