Paris1972-Versailles2003

In our wonderful sublime Valley of the Kings, the Loire. I arrived at the Château de Valençay castle, the home of Tayllerand! This was a first and found me more pictures of this trip that was not in the original post and feel they deserve to be. Therefore, here is the Château de Valençay, part II !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.

The town of Valençay is located in the dept Indre 37 of the Centre Val de Loire region in my belle France. The town of Valençay is about 95 km from Tours, 71 km from Bourges, 253 km from Paris and about 434 km from my house, Do enjoy the additional pictures as think this is one castle should be visited more often.  The Château de Valençay was the property of the prince de Talleyrand. Documents attest to the presence of the lordship or domain of Valençay from the 13C, but all that remains from this time is the salle basse (lower medieval hall), located below the current cour d’Honneur (main courtyard).

It contains beautiful collections of furniture sculptures, paintings and precious objects to give the Château of Valençay a still inhabited look, Its prominent rooms ,condensed briefly by yours truly from the official castle site are :

You have a wonderful escalier d’honneur or grand staircase. On the left wall, see a tapestry from the Gobelins factory.

Grand salon this room is completely inspired by the Empire style from the mahogany and gilded bronze décor to the hanging Bohemian crystal chandeliers. It is found in the armchairs, chairs and sofas whose tapestries, all different and embroidered by the ladies of the court of Spain, reproduce leaves collected in the park. 

King of Spain’s Bedroom The largest bedchamber in the château including a beautiful set of Empire-style furniture, this room was occupied by the Prince of Asturias from 1808 to 1814. As a prisoner of Napoleon, the future King Ferdinand VII stayed in a gilded cage thanks to the attention and concern of Talleyrand.A Louis XVI-style bed was specifically made for Ferdinand and small pieces of furniture for gloves, stockings and handkerchiefs all add a touch of sophistication to this room along with the recently added cheval mirror. The walls are covered in a fine panoramic grisaille wallpaper, representing episodes of the life of Cupid and Psyche.

Hall of Treasures Since 2018, the staged museum room has showcased the personal and historical items belonging to Talleyrand.

Grand Gallery It serves all of the upstairs apartments and ends in a small room, formerly used as a chapel, which holds today a copy of Houdon’s “Diana the Huntress”. This corridor is filled with many Empire and Restoration-style chests of drawers and console tables.

Dining room The dining room displays a magnificent mahogany table seating up to 36 guests, refreshment console tables made of marble, a cutting table and an elegant decor.

The kitchens Equipped with ovens and copper utensils were comfortably set up in the 17-18C basements

Renewed each season, the flower beds are designed to give the château a colorful setting worthy of its architectural splendor. Filled with 25 different tree species, the forest is carefully maintained and plays an educational role with signs that provide information on their different origins, uses and biology. Visitors can explore it on foot or by electric golf cart on a 4 km path. You have the Garden “à la française”, The Duchess’ Garden, and Ornamental Gardens. The Deer Park dates back to Talleyrand’s day, with its delightful deer, large and small, sporting their red coats with white splashes in the summer, brown in the winter. The “Forêt des Princes” , visitors can explore a magnificent 4 km historical and natural path on foot or using an electric golf cart. Seven remarkable features are worth pointing out along this walk, along with a stunning view of the château. This has an additional charge of 14€.

The official Château de Valençay: https://www.chateau-valencay.fr/en

The Valençay tourist office on the castle: http://www.valencay-tourisme.fr/decouvrir-le-pays/chateaux/parc-et-chateau-de-valencay.html

There you go folks, another magnificent castle in my belle France! The list is endless, and the beauty beyond questioning in the valley of the kings. The Château de Valençay and Tayllerand is a nice history piece to learn and reason to be back, eventually. Again, hope you enjoy the post on the Château de Valençay, part II !!! as I.

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