Photo : Carsten Steger / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Château d'Ussé
The Château d'Ussé is in Rigny-Ussé, in Indre-et-Loire, about 33 kilometres west of Tours, at the edge of the Chinon forest. The first building was commissioned in 1424 by Jean V de Bueil. In 1485, Jacques d'Espinay acquired it and in 1521 founded the collegiate church. The castle combines the Gothic west wing of the 1460s and the Renaissance east wing, built between 1485 and 1515. Windows on two levels were opened around 1670.
According to tradition, Vauban drew up fortification plans and the Italian-style terraces. The estate is also associated with several writers: Chateaubriand is said to have written passages of the "Mémoires d'outre-tombe" there, and Voltaire is said to have stayed. Charles Perrault is said to have taken inspiration from the castle for "Sleeping Beauty", and wax-figure scenes now illustrate the tale on the ramparts.
The Blacas family have owned it since the inheritance of 1883, and the castle remains a private property open to visitors. It has been protected as a historic monument since 1927, 1931 and 1951. Visiting days should be checked on the official website.
