Castle of Chateaudun - Chateau de Chateaudun
Perched on top of a hill, Chateaudun looks like it was drawn by children. It was built for height so that the occupants could overlook the entire Loire Valley. But also, perhaps, because the initiator of its construction, Jean of Dunois (the companion of Joan of Arc who died in 1468), a natural child of Louis of Orleans, wanted to sit by this aspect its legitimacy.
Today the castle offers a view of about thirty kilometres, and those who are sensitive to height should avoid the night watchman’s walk.
The main points for your visit are:
- The Dungeon: the most ancient part of the Chateau, built in 1170, and is extremely well preserved. The base of its wall is over 4 meters of thickness, measures 31 meters high and 17 meters in diameter. Its third floor, equipped with broad windows, was used as housing. Dunois also installed the library there.
- The Saint Chapel: was built from 1451 to 1493, first the chorus and the high dome, then the southern nave and oratory, and finally, the bell-tower. The low dome, which is the main sanctuary, is rich of about fifteen statues representing, for the majority, Saints and starting from the middle of the 15th century. There is also the Virgin to the Child dating from the around 1400, the statue of Dunois and a fresco describing the scene of the Last Judgement, painted probably in 1493.
- The Dunois wing: erected between 1459 and 1468, comprises five floors. Its appearance, despite of some elements of ornamentation of Gothic style, is very sober, sometimes severe. Side court, one notices a large staircase built on the model of famous “Grand Vis” built by Charles V in the Louvre.
In addition to this architectural visit, the castle of Chateaudun is the occasion to discover a collection of about fifty tapestries from Brussels and France. The collection of tapestries of Brussels is characterized by an invaluable tapestry made of twelve parts telling the history of Moïse, woven about 1546-1548.
Address: Place Jehan de Dunois
Price: Normal: 6,50 euros; Concession: 4,50 euros
Opening Hours:
From 1 April until 30 June and from 1 until 30 September : 9h30 to 18h15
From 1 July until 31 August: 9h30 to 19h00
From 2 January until 31 mars and from 1 October until 31 December: 10h00-12h30, 14h00-17h00
Phone number: +33 2 37 94 02 90