Paris1972-Versailles2003

I am on my road warrior mode again, and again in the beautiful Centre Val de Loire region with many visits. These are all firsts amazing abundance of marvelous places to see in my belle France. We needed it a break so got me a nice small picturesque hotel near City center Chinon a marvelous spot for a rest ! I have written plenty on the town before so this is just a passing road warrior trip and another nice experience in lovely Chinon, Indre et Loire dept 37 of the Centre Val de Loire region . Hope you enjoy the posts as I.

We arrived on the road D8 from known territory and previous stayed of Île Bouchard right into our hotel. A bit refresher on Chinon as it is  47 km from Tours, 30 km from Saumur, 80 km from Angers, 85 km from Poitiers, and 305 km from Paris, Also about 314 km (about 195 miles) from my house. On our way out we took the road D749 along the mighty Loire river !

We stayed at the Hôtel Belle Epoque, 14 Avenue Gambetta just across from the train station or gare and about less than 1 km from City center which we walked easily. We took double rooms as came with 5 and our dog Rex. One room 310 double room and room 311 with 3 small twins beds. Nice welcome on a French Holiday  Celebrating France’s fallen heroes by a couple owners. Internet and nice breakfast was great. And free inside parking. The only minus was the 2nd floor stairs hard on my Dad which we carry up and down! And a straight walk of 12 minutes to city center and the Hôtel de Ville.

The Hôtel de Ville had a pizzeria nearby which we pick up for our hotel 4 Pizzas Espagnole or Spanish with chorizos and 4 fromages or four cheeses. One of the best pizzas I have eaten in France! This is to be mark and return Les Saveurs d’Italie at the 19 Place du Général de Gaulle a resto and grocery store as well for all things Italian. Friendly service and with soft drinks 13 euros per person,nice indeed.

The official Hôtel Belle Epoque: https://www.hotelbelle-epoque.com/

The official Les Saveurs d’Italie : https://lessaveursditalie.fyre.one/about

As we walked a bit, we passed by the beautiful statue of Joan of Arc on the current Place Jeanne d’Arc. The Maid is represented in the saddle, holding her sword in her right hand and in her left brandishing her standard. Her horse passes over the bodies of two English soldiers lying on the ground. A historical monument of France.  Jeanne D’Arc, indeed, arrived in Chinon on February 23, 1429 after 470 km covered in 11 days on her horse. There were two interviews in Chinon, the first in the bedroom of King Charles VII, two days after Joan of Arc’s arrival in Chinon. It was subsequently housed in the keep of Coudray. After an assembly of women chaired by the Queen of Sicily verified the virginity of the Maid of Orleans. She is sent to Poitiers by the King so that specialists can judge her good faith. Once the procedure is over, King Charles VII receives her again at the Royal Fortress of Chinon (see post). It is within this that Joan of Arc made the promise to lead the king to the coronation, and victory!

On Place du Général de Gaulle you have the Hôtel de Ville and the market spot as well. In the 19-20C, Chinon experienced many urban transformations: creation of quays on the site of the fortifications, construction of public buildings such as the City/Town hall. As we were staying across from it I took day and night shots of the train station, but never use it myself. The official SNCF site on gare de Chinon: https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/chinon

And why not the wonderful fortress of Chinon as seenn over the Pont d’Aquitaine and the road D749 arriving into town, Always magical me think.

The City of Chinon on its heritage: https://www.ville-chinon.com/loisirs/tourisme-et-patrimoine/decouvrir-ma-ville/patrimoine-a-decouvrir

The local Azay Chinon tourist office on Chinon: https://www.azay-chinon-valdeloire.com/en/guided-tours/guided-tours-of-chinon/

There you go folks, this was another nice visit to beautiful Chinon. There is so much to see here and so much architecture and history, I need to return for more. And of course, not to mention the wines of Chinon oh oh oh! (see post). Hope you enjoy it as I.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!

I am on my road warrior mode again, and again in the beautiful Centre Val de Loire region with many visits. These are all firsts amazing abundance of marvelous places to see in my belle France. I finally found me a castle that was open, and wow!! first time here and what a find! This is in the town of Lémeré to see the Château du Rivau. I will use this post to tell you about the castle interiors and another post on the gardens and exteriors  ,therefore some or most of the text will be the same. Hope you enjoy the posts as I.

In the 13C, Le Rivau was a stronghold , and was fortified in the 15C and then humanized during the Renaissance. It is both an impregnable fortress and a pleasant place to live. The Gothic windows of the facade of the castle were enlarged and decorated with carvings. The forecourt was endowed with prestigious stables. In the 17C, the buildings south of the forecourt were rebuilt and covered with hollow tiles because the low slope of the roofs did not allow the laying of slate, which requires a steep slope. In the 18C, there was no modernization of the castle, but the garden terraces of Le Rivau were surrounded by walls. The castle became a wheat storage place and forgot its splendor of yesteryear. Le Rivau is renowned for its stables from the 15C, when these were still only made of wood. One of the illustrious characters in it is Joan of Arc. After having recognized the Dauphin in Chinon in 1427, she will criss-cross France to join various seats. Knowing her reputation for her steeds, Joan of Arc will stop at Rivau and come to get fighting horses in 1429 before joining the siege of Orléans.

From 1438, the Rivau was given as a dowry to Pierre de Beauvau, first chamberlain of the Dauphin Charles VII. He obtained the authorization of King Charles VII to have the castle fortified, thanks to his feats of arms. The Rivau fortified house thus became a fortified castle in the 15C. Reconstruction work began in 1443 In 1510, François de Beauvau, lord of Rivau and captain of François I, undertook to build monumental stables which would provide his stallions to the king. He died at the battle of Romagna alongside Bayard in 1524. His successor, Gabriel de Beauvau decided, around 1550, to erect a very innovative building, influenced by the buildings that the great lords had discovered while accompanying the King to the Italian campaigns. From 1631, Le Rivau was spared by Cardinal Richelieu who wanted to dismantle all the castles near the present town of Richelieu in order to recover the stones that would be used to build his town ,just 10 km from the Rivau. His sister Françoise Duplessis being married to Jean de Beauvau, lord of the place, the Rivau escaped the dismantling suffered by the neighboring castles. His descendant Jacques de Beauvau, marshal of the camps and armies of King Louis XIV left the Château du Rivau to go to the court of the Sun King. In 1664, he obtained the erection of the land of Beauvau as a marquisate. His cousin, René, was adviser to the King. After the sale of the castle, the Beauvau left Touraine, entered the service of the King of Poland, Duke of Lorraine and became Princes of Lorraine., For two centuries, different owners followed one another: artists, marquises, etc. From the 19C, Le Rivau remained uninhabited and fell into oblivion. The painter and poster designer Pierre-Laurent Brenot became the owner of the château in February 1961 and lived there until it was sold to the current owners, Éric and Patricia Laigneau, in December 1992. They immediately began the restoration work necessary to restore the castle, its outbuildings and the gardens. In 2000, the site was opened to the public.

The Chambre of lord Beaveau and its chapel is not mention much even in the official webpage but they are small rooms into the salle des Dames that are worth seeing me think.

Fortress on the outside with its dungeon, its moat, its drawbridge, and its walkway, the castle is also a pleasure castle. From the entrance  surmounted by the coat of arms of the Beauvau family and their motto “Beauvau without departing” ,the visitor climbs the spiral staircase where many graffiti from the 15C are to be deciphered. In the vast rooms of the Rivau emerges a warm atmosphere. Below pic the public entrance.

The salle du grand logis or hall of the grand dwelling ,This large hall of arms and banquet was also used by the lord of Beauvau to arbitrate on the one hand the conflicts between peasants and on the other hand between them and the lord.

The cabinet de travail du Seigneur de Beauvau or office of the Lord of Beauvau , This room with a sexpartite vault called Plantagenêt, typical of Angevin Gothic architecture, recreates the atmosphere of the Lord’s office The office presents a collection of furniture and chests from the 15-16C and 18C which constituted the essential of the furniture of the seigniorial dwellings.

The salle du festin or banquet hall ,This hall is marked by the Renaissance, as it retains the traces of the frescoes from that period.

The salon des dames or ladies’ room This room is a tribute to the ladies, to the heroines of Rivau and elsewhere. We find the cushions that allowed women to sit near the windows to embroider, weave, sing, play the harp, etc.

The salle Jeanne d’Arc or Joan of Arc Room, This is the only room remodeled in the 19C. It pays homage to the various representations of Joan of Arc in the 19C. With the rise of different political currents, Joan of Arc was sometimes monopolized by them. It is therefore the vision of Joan of Arc in the 19th century when she aroused national enthusiasm. Even today, she is both a national trophy and a symbol of perseverance and stubbornness.

The official Château du Rivau :https://www.chateaudurivau.com/en/

The Touraine Loire Valley tourist office on Rivau castle:https://www.touraineloirevalley.co.uk/cultural-heritage/chateau-and-gardens-of-le-rivau-lemere/

The town of Lémeré on its heritage: https://lemere.fr/tourisme-loisirs-decouvertes-et-patrimoine/

There you go folks, another dandy in my belle France and on the Centre Val de Loire region of the valley of the kings of France! The Château du Rivau is another must and glad we found it, we will be back, eventually. Again, hope you have enjoy the post as I.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!

I am on my road warrior mode again, and again in the beautiful Centre Val de Loire region with many visits. These are all firsts amazing abundance of marvelous places to see in my belle France. I finally found me a castle that was open, and wow!! first time here and what a find! This is in the town of Lémeré to see the Château du Rivau. I will use this post to tell you about the gardens and exteriors and another post for the interiors ,therefore some or most of the text will be the same. Hope you enjoy the posts as I.

The Château du Rivau is a seigniorial fortress whose first foundations date back to the 13C. Located in the town of Lémeré in the department of Indre-et-Loire 37, Centre Val de Loire region, The town is 14 km from Chinon, 9 km from Île Bouchard and about 327 km from my house.

In the 13C, Le Rivau was a stronghold , and was fortified in the 15C and then humanized during the Renaissance. It is both an impregnable fortress and a pleasant place to live. The Gothic windows of the facade of the castle were enlarged and decorated with carvings. The forecourt was endowed with prestigious stables. In the 17C, the buildings south of the forecourt were rebuilt and covered with hollow tiles because the low slope of the roofs did not allow the laying of slate, which requires a steep slope. In the 18C, there was no modernization of the castle, but the garden terraces of Le Rivau were surrounded by walls. The castle became a wheat storage place and forgot its splendor of yesteryear.

Le Rivau is renowned for its stables from the 15C, when these were still only made of wood. One of the illustrious characters in it is Joan of Arc. After having recognized the Dauphin in Chinon in 1427, she will criss-cross France to join various seats. Knowing her reputation for her steeds, Joan of Arc will stop at Rivau and come to get fighting horses in 1429 before joining the siege of Orléans. There is a wonderful historical laser presentation in the stables!

From 1438, the Rivau was given as a dowry to Pierre de Beauvau, first chamberlain of the Dauphin Charles VII. He obtained the authorization of King Charles VII to have the castle fortified, thanks to his feats of arms. The Rivau fortified house thus became a fortified castle in the 15C. Reconstruction work began in 1443 In 1510, François de Beauvau, lord of Rivau and captain of François I, undertook to build monumental stables which would provide his stallions to the king. He died at the battle of Romagna alongside Bayard in 1524. His successor, Gabriel de Beauvau decided, around 1550, to erect a very innovative building, influenced by the buildings that the great lords had discovered while accompanying the King to the Italian campaigns. From 1631, Le Rivau was spared by Cardinal Richelieu who wanted to dismantle all the castles near the present town of Richelieu in order to recover the stones that would be used to build his town ,just 10 km from the Rivau. His sister Françoise Duplessis being married to Jean de Beauvau, lord of the place, the Rivau escaped the dismantling suffered by the neighboring castles.

His descendant Jacques de Beauvau, marshal of the camps and armies of King Louis XIV left the Château du Rivau to go to the court of the Sun King. In 1664, he obtained the erection of the land of Beauvau as a marquisate. His cousin, René, was adviser to the King. After the sale of the castle, the Beauvau left Touraine, entered the service of the King of Poland, Duke of Lorraine and became Princes of Lorraine., For two centuries, different owners followed one another: artists, marquises, etc. From the 19C, Le Rivau remained uninhabited and fell into oblivion. The painter and poster designer Pierre-Laurent Brenot became the owner of the château in February 1961 and lived there until it was sold to the current owners, Éric and Patricia Laigneau, in December 1992. They immediately began the restoration work necessary to restore the castle, its outbuildings and the gardens. In 2000, the site was opened to the public.

The écuries du Rivau or Rivau stables are the finest example of the evolution of the architectural treatment of equestrian buildings. Until then, castle stables were purely utilitarian and devoid of ornamental character. The specificity of Rivau is that for the first time in the history of equestrian architecture, stables were designed by an architect who developed an innovative style. The stables, shaped in L, are inspired by the architecture of the Second Renaissance. The Rivau stables, arranged in an L, housed around thirty horses on the ground floor, probably mares on one side and stallions on the other. The floor, served by a staircase built into the thickness of the walls, served as storage and housed the grooms. The horses lined up along the opposite wall, were tied to rings without stall separation. Feeders carved into the limestone are placed against the walls.There is a wonderful laser show presentation here not to miss! 

Among the buildings founded by the commons, the tithe barn and the wine press were important places in the Middle Ages for the village community who lived on the lands of the lord. The Jardins de contes de fées or gardens of fairy tales ,Indeed, the 14 gardens of the Château du Rivau evoke a marvelous and fantastic world for the greatest pleasure of the visitors. The 14 gardens are inspired by tales and legendary stories: The Lavender Parterres, The Vegetable Garden of Gargantua, Petit Poucet’s garden,La Cassinina,Le bois Amoureux,Scent alley,Garden of Love Philtres,Garden of Princess Rapunzel,Secret garden,Alice’s labyrinth,The enchanted forest,The Orchard of Paradise ,The truffle ,and The alley of the fairies The vegetable garden of Gargantua ; half-moon of the vegetable garden of Gargantua presents vegetables with pantagruelian development planted on a raised chestnut plessis Le Rivau wanted to make its gardens the setting of an open-air museum of contemporary art. Thus, several artists have come to the castle to create permanent works. And many more to numerous to mention with many artwork all around it. A must.

Other thing to see here is the Saint-Hilaire Church dates from the 12C. The bell tower, built in the 15C, is made up, at its base, of a square tower supported by buttresses at the corners, and ends in an octagonal spire.

The official Château du Rivau: https://www.chateaudurivau.com/en/

The Touraine Loire Valley tourist office on Rivau :https://www.touraineloirevalley.co.uk/cultural-heritage/chateau-and-gardens-of-le-rivau-lemere/

The town of Lémeré on its heritage :https://lemere.fr/tourisme-loisirs-decouvertes-et-patrimoine/

There you go folks, another dandy in my belle France and on the Centre Val de Loire region of the valley of the kings of France! The Château du Rivau is another must and glad we found it, we will be back, eventually. Again, hope you have enjoy the post as I.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!