On a hot summer’s night, after dinner at the lovely Hotel Le Grand Monarque, in the bijou town of Azay-le-Rideau I decided to stroll through the pretty little streets and take a peek at the famed Chateau through its ornate iron gates, ahead of a day time visit scheduled for the next day. Imagine my surprise to discover that at 10pm the gates were open, and visitors were welcomed in for free to wander the fragrant gardens and ooh and ah at the sight of the fairy-tale castle lit up against a twilight sky, its reflection shimmering in the moat, perfectly still except for ripples caused by a dipping dragonfly, a lazy fish or an amorous frog looking for company. A full moon hovered over the castle, a glowing homage to its beauty as the silhouette of small bats flitted through the beams of the moon. The scent of lavender was heady. It was like a dream chateau come to life…
History of Azay-le-Rideau
Standing on an island in the middle of the Indre River, the Château of Azay-le-Rideau was built combining the latest technical innovations from Italy and the art of French architecture.
In around 1510, Gilles Berthelot, Finance Minister of King Louis XII and Mayor of nearby Tours, became owner of the ruins of a fortress in Azay-le-Rideau. He had plans drawn up for a château, putting his wife Philippe (in those days, a name for both men and women) in charge of the construction. By 1515, the year Francois I came to the throne, the Renaissance influence was in full flow. Philippe proved to be an excellent project manager, ordering slate from Anjou, ensuring masons, carpenters and workmen were on site at the right time.
Like "a faceted diamond set in the Indre bathing in the river like princely creature".
Honoré de Balzac