Loire Valley Chateau d'Azay-le-Rideau

Indre-et-Loire

Chateau d'Azay-le-Rideau is a small castle whose charm lured no less than three reigning French monarchs to take up residence there: François I, Henri III and Louis XIII. And they all fell in love with the beautiful stone construction.

The castle owes its construction to Gilles Berthelot who was the Mayor of Tour and Treasurer of Royal Finances to François I. He was authorised to restore the Azay fortifications in 1515 but rather than spend money on the ramparts, Berthelot constructed an elegant residence featuring architecture inspired by the Italian Renaissance. Azay is famous for its monumental staircase - one of the most beautiful in France.

Unfortunately for Berthelot, the beauty of the palace attracted jealousies and the financier being of common birth, was shown by the nobles to have abused the confidence of his king by drawing from the royal treasury in order to grow rich.

François I rebuked his treasurer who, fearing for his life, fled immediately and never saw the castle in its completed state.

The King then offered the Chateau d'Azay-le-Rideau to one of his comrades in arms, Antoine Raffin, whose family then occupied it until 1791.

It was the purchased by the Marquis de Biencourt whose last heir sold Chateau d'Azay-le-Rideau to the Government in 1911.

Today, Chateau d'Azay-le-Rideau is one of the best-preserved castles in the Loire Valley. It is also one of the most traditional, with its turrets, water level and the symmetrical distribution of the large openings that give the façade a regular order (a clear sign of the influence of Italian Renaissance architecture). It also offers its visitors the chance to discover an extensive collection of tables, tapestries and antique furniture and has been a favourite among Loire Valley holiday makers for generations.

Address: en Indre-et-Loire
Entry Price: 6 euros (Concession: 4 euros)
Opening Hours:
1 April - 30 June: 9h30 to 18h
1 July - 31 August: 9h30 to 19h
1 - 30 September: 9h30 to 18h
1 October - 31 March: 10h to 12h30 and 14h to 17h30
Phone number: +33 2 47 45 42 04

Chateau d'Azay-le-Rideau Map