Photo : Jean-Christophe BENOIST / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
Château de Villandry
About fifteen kilometres west of Tours, the Château de Villandry overlooks the confluence of the Cher and the Loire. Jean Le Breton, who had overseen the Chambord building site, acquired the medieval fortress in 1532, had it demolished and built in its place the Renaissance castle, completed around 1536. It is the last great Loire castle of this period.
It is, however, its gardens that make it famous. Doctor Joachim Carvallo bought the estate in 1906 and set about recreating a Renaissance garden based on the plans and writings of the architect Jacques Androuet du Cerceau. The estate now covers more than six hectares spread over four levels of terraces.
There you will find the water garden, with eighteenth-century French-style parterres, the ornamental garden, the vegetable garden and the sun garden. Box draws geometric patterns everywhere. Villandry is part of the Loire Valley inscribed by UNESCO and carries the Jardin remarquable label. The colours of the parterres vary with the seasons, from spring to autumn, and visiting conditions should be checked with the official website.
