Paris1972-Versailles2003

I was on my by now monthly road warrior trails of my belle France, I was out with my boys and my good dog Rex riding into the wonderful regions near me. This even if passed by before, is my first time in the town of Le Lude, full of architecture and history monuments.The town of Le Lude is located in the Sarthe department 72 in the Pays de la Loire region of my belle France , Therefore, here is my take on the Château du Lude of Le Lude !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.

The Château du Lude, located among the northernmost châteaux of the Loire Valley, was occupied from the Middle Ages onwards and became a strategic point on the borders of Maine, Anjou and Touraine. Occupied by the English during the Hundred Years’ War, the château became the property of Jean Daillon, chamberlain to King Louis XI, in 1457. For two centuries, the Daillons worked to embellish the château and transformed the old medieval fortress into a pleasure lodge. The lordship of Le Lude was raised to a county by François I in May 1545 and then to a duchy-peerage in favour of Henry de Daillon, lieutenant-general of the king’s armies, in 1675. During this period, Le Lude received two royal visits. In 1598, in the Church of Saint-Vincent, Henry IV attended his first procession since his conversion to Catholicism on the occasion of Corpus Christi. His son and successor, Louis XIII, also stayed at the Château du Lude in 1619. In the last quarter of the 18C, the Marquise de la Vieuville, heiress of the château, made significant modifications to the residence, including the construction of the facade, facing the spur and the Loir river, in a neoclassical style. Joseph Develaër was a wealthy merchant who became a supercargo of the Compagnie des Indes in Canton. He acquired the lands of the Château du Lude in 1751 and its titles of nobility in 1752, which gave him the title of Count of Lude. After the French revolution, the castle came into the possession of the Talhouët family to whom we owe in particular the transformations of the facade, known as the “Louis XVI” facade overlooking the spur, and numerous restorations throughout the 19C as well as embellishment work until the dawn of WWI. The castl remained in the Talhouët family until the death of René de Talhouët in 1948. From that moment on, his grandson, René de Nicolaÿ, became its heir, and it was under the impetus of his widow, the Countess of Nicolaÿ, that one of the first sound and light shows was created in 1958, which would make the reputation of Le Lude until its last performance in 1995. At the head of the estate since 1980, Barbara de Nicolaÿ and her husband continue the restoration of this private and family historic monument which offers a rare testimony to six centuries of French architecture. Barbara de Nicolaÿ’s efforts have made it possible to double the surface area of the rooms open to visitors, such as the library, the bedroom, the old kitchens in use since the 15C, and above all the “studiolo”, a magnificent and unique example of an Italianate painting cabinet in a French château. The Château du Lude is a testament to four centuries of French architecture. Since 2018, volunteers from the Chantiers Histoire et Architecture Médiévales association have been involved in the restoration of the château’s stud farm.

Classified as a “Remarkable Garden,” the Le Lude gardens cover 8 hectares and are made up of several spaces, each with their own specific features. The lower garden, for example, is a French-style garden that follows the course of the Loir for over 200 meters. The history of sound and light was thus launched! The first year, with the agreement of Madame de Nicolaÿ, a paid show was offered on the façade and the François I terrace of the château. From 1960, developments were carried out along the banks of the Loir. On the right bank, a 5,000-seat grandstand was built, and opposite, a 350-meter-long stage for the dancers was created. It was an immediate success. The adventure of the “Luxueuses soirées au bord de l’Loir,” the first sound and light show in France, lasted more than 30 years, dazzle visitors including André Malraux, Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, and even the Queen Mother of England in 1984.

The town of Le Lude on its heritage : https://www.ville-lelude.fr/ma-ville/histoire-et-patrimoine/

The local Loir Valley tourist office on Le Lude : https://www.loir-valley.com/things-to-see-to-do/sites-to-visit/

The official Château Le Lude : https://www.lelude.com/en/

The Sarthe dept 72 tourist office on the castle of Le Lude : https://www.sarthetourism.com/discover/cultural-heritage/the-chateau-du-lude/

There you go folks , a nice quant town worth a detour me think. The area is wonderfully located to visit other wonders of my belle France, Again ,hope you enjoy this post on the Château du Lude of Le Lude !!! as I

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