Château de Villandry
Château de Villandry is a complex of buildings and gardens located 15 km west of Tours in the French department of Indre-et-Loire, in the Centre-Val de Loire region.
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History
The Château de Villandry owes its international fame to its Renaissance gardens, reconstructed in the early 20th century by Dr Joachim Carvallo on the basis of engravings by Du Cerceau. With 6 hectares of carefully tended gardens and 52 kilometres of pruned boxwood, Villandry is the largest example of a Renaissance garden in Europe. The architecture of the château itself is a remarkable late Renaissance example. Built in 1532 by Jean Le Breton, Secretary of State to François I and master builder of Chambord, it features three angled buildings flanked by square corner towers. The main façade opens onto a terrace overlooking the Cher valley. The gardens are laid out on three terraced levels: the water garden with its large water mirror below the château, the ornamental garden (known as the love garden) with its four flowerbeds symbolising the different forms of love, and the legendary ornamental vegetable garden with nine squares featuring geometric designs that change each season depending on the vegetables planted. A herb garden (medicinal herbs) and a hornbeam maze complete the ensemble.
Architecture
Three buildings set at right angles around an open courtyard. Square corner towers. Late Renaissance style (1532). Integrated 12th-century medieval keep. Panoramic view of the Cher valley from the upper terrace. Terraced gardens covering 6 hectares: water garden, love garden, ornamental vegetable garden (9 squares), herb garden, hornbeam maze.
