Ah, France! The land of love, baguettes and lots of beautiful castles and gardens. There are a lot of places where you could feast your eyes on the beauty of Renaissance, Medieval architecture in all its glory. However, we’re going to talk about one specific castle that grabbed our attention. This article is dedicated to the Chateau de Villandry and its beautiful gardens.

We will cover the essential information in the following paragraphs. We will talk a little about the history of Chateau de Villandry; we will show you some of the most popular and beautiful gardens. We will also share some useful info for those of you who are planning a trip to the fortress. Let’s get into it!

History of the Chateau

The Chateau of Villandry is a beautiful castle, inhabited since the Renaissance. It is one of the most magnificent castles ever built on the banks of the Loire. As the title says, the villa is in Villandry, which is around 100 km away from Angers and another 100 km from Le Mans. It is recorded that it has once been the residence of Jean Le Breton, Minister of Finance for Francois l. Previous owners of the Chateau include the Marquis de Castellane, known as the ambassador of Louis XV and Jerome Bonaparte, the brother of Napoleon l.

When Breton arrived in Villandry back in 1532, he had a different idea on how the castle should look like. The fortress was razed to the ground and was replaced with three main structures around the keep. Only the keep was left untouched because of the interesting story behind its walls. This is where the conference on the 4th July 1189 was held and where Henry ll of England signed ‘The Peace of Colombiers’ treaty (La Paix de Colombiers) before his death. Jean was also interested in gardening and wanted to make the Chateau even more outstanding as it already was. With some help and his knowledge of the art of gardening, millions of visitors can now enjoy the beauty and diversity of the Villandry gardens.

According to other resources, the gardens were created later – in the 1900s, when Joachim Carvallo, a medical researcher from Don Benito, Spain, purchased the property. A lot of time and finances went into the restoration of the Chateau of Villandry and the creation of the spectacular gardens.

From the 1920s onwards, the Chateau is open for visitors around the world.

Gardens of Chateau de Villandry

As previously mentioned, it is said that Joachim Carvallo is the actual creator of the gardens in Villandry. In 1906, Joachim acquired a romantic English-style landscaped park, that was in perfect contrast with the rest of the property. The gardens are beautiful! The shapes, the colours, the exotic species you see are all inspired by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who admired the so-called ‘democratic egalitarianism’. The arrangement of the gardens expresses this style, and we’re sure you’re going to love it as well.

They cover 9 hectares of the whole property. It is said that the gardens were Carvallo’s opus magnum, meaning his ‘greatest work’. He found peace and tranquillity creating and walking through the gardens, especially after he became a fervent catholic, according to other articles. Chateau the Villandry is genuinely unique and includes the following enclosures:

• Water Garden, which is filled with small ponds and fountains
• Ornamental Garden, where you can see different flowers and arrangements according to the seasons
• A Large Vegetable Garden, which is also the most popular one in the castle. This garden was inspired by the medieval tradition of monks taking care of vegetable and flower plots around the monastery. You will find amazing flowers and vegetables, the colours of which represent different things. For example, it is said that the pergola in the vegetable garden represents heaven, and this spot has been used as a place for meditation and self-care.
• The Sun Garden (Jardin du Soleil)

All the gardens are laid out on different terraces and create layers of beauty across the property.

Would you like to see them? Head to the next paragraph to get more information.

Useful Information About Chateau de Villandry

If we’ve sparked your interest in visiting the Chateau, we’ve prepared sоme useful information for your next trip to France and the fortress that might be helpful. The Chateau is open to the public full year around. You can enter in a group of minimum 15 people, with or without a guide. The prices for 2019 are €11 for both the Chateau and gardens and €7 for the yards only. In winter, from the 12th of November 2019 to the 31st of March 2020, there are specially reduced prices – €9 for both gardens and Chateau and €5 for the yards only.

The opening hours for the Chateau de Villandry are from 9 am to 6 pm, while in winter it may change to 9 am to 5 or 5:30 pm. The gardens are usually open from 9 am to 7 pm, and in winter – from 9 am to 5:30 or 6:30.

A big plus for those of you who are planning to go by car is that there is free parking available nearby. There is also an unsupervised bicycle parking that is also convenient. If you visit without personal transportation, you could have a look at the schedule of the local buses that stop at the castle. There are also organized tour buses which can be easily arranged.

See It Online

If you want to go to the Chateau, but you’re not quite sure where it is located, don’t worry. We’ve prepared a Google maps guide for your convenience. Also, there is a superb video made that captures the glory of the fortress and the gardens. You can find it in the section below.

	Chateau de Villandry 3 rue Principale 37510 Villandry Tél. : + 33(0)2 47 50 02 09 E-mail : info@chateauvillandry.com