• 
• 
• 

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Azay le Rideau Castle

It was in the creative environment of the first years of the reign of Francis I that the château of Azay-le-Rideau was built. In 1515, Gilles Berthelot, one of the new courtiers and governor-general of the kingdom’s finances, replaced the small fortified castle his father had bought by two large wings protected by branches of the Indre river. At the angles, elegant little towers suspended over the water recall the woman who had inspired the house: Philippe Lesbahy, Gilles Berthelot’s courageous wife who was unable to complete the reconstruction after the disgrace and then the death of her husband.
The house has all the refinements of Renaissance architecture and epitomises the qualities of a traditional French château with its high roofs, tall watch-turrets, long rows of windows and dormer-windows and majestic Italian structure which gives the building a wonderfully symmetrical facade. In the courtyard, there is a splendid grand staircase built by an unknown master architect. From the loggias which are underlined by rich decorative sculptures, there is a wonderful view of the park. It was created at the Romantic period, when the new masters, the Marquis of Biencourt, restored the château.
Today, the facade is gently reflected in the calm river, and the interior is richly furnished and decorated with works of art. Tapestries hang in the great hall where balls and banquets were held. Portraits and historical paintings decorate the apartment which accommodated Louis XIII as well as the salons, library and dining room, which were redecorated by the Marquis of Biencourt.

Take a visit to our Website Azay le Rideau Castle, and you can find here more informations.