Château de Tours

Tours, France

The Château de Tours was built in the 11th century. The building displayed an architecture of the Carolingian period, and was the residence of the Lords of France. Until the 2000s, the Royal Castle of Tours was used as an aquarium where about 1,500 fish of 200 different species could be seen. It also served as Grévin museum. The castle was classified as monument historique on 20 August 1913.

Currently, the building houses contemporary exhibitions of paintings and photographs, including works by Joan Miró, Daniel Buren,Nadar, and the workshop of Tours history where archaeological and historical documents, models, audio-visual films on the history of Tours, etc, are shown.

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Address

25 Avenue André Malraux, Tours, France
See all sites in Tours

Details

Founded: 11th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in France
Historical period: Birth of Capetian dynasty (France)

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Tours Cathedral (0,2 km)
Musée des Beaux-Arts de Tours (0,2 km)
Tours Old Town (0,9 km)
Basilica of St. Martin (0,9 km)
Church of St. Julien (0,5 km)
Château de Plessis-lez-Tours (3 km)
Marmoutier Abbey (1,9 km)


Château de Chenonceau (29,5 km)
Château d'Amboise (22,1 km)
Château de Villandry (14,9 km)
Château d'Azay-le-Rideau (23 km)
Château de Chaumont (37,9 km)
Château de Chinon (42,9 km)
Château d'Usse (34,4 km)
Clos Lucé (22,5 km)
Château de Langeais (23,1 km)

User Reviews

Douglas Wong (10 months ago)
Beautiful chateau used for art exhibitions.
Attila Tényi (13 months ago)
Beautiful little castle with two round bastions. Little among the great Loire valley castles. Looks like a good family home.
iam Effortless (14 months ago)
I absolutely loved this town. Locals I chatted with seemed very friendly. Has a old town vibe still. Good food and drink places. Cool sights to see. North tours has a nice bridge to walk over. NOT AN UBER OR LYFT FRIENDLY city. Cabs suck and frequently didn't show up after requesting a ride with them. Used public transit and walked a lot, so prepare yourself for that if you plan on visiting.
Mark Playle (16 months ago)
A wonderful place to visit. Lots of great exhibitions
Ayesha Ahmad (19 months ago)
It's one of the places you would go to if only you are a tourist or interested in history. However, it is not always a disappointment as you various exhibitions going on here that well curated. Parking is easy to find here except in the evenings of weekends. Entry is free on first Sunday. On Mondays the castle remains closed.
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Château de Chaumont

The Château de Chaumont was founded in the 10th century by Odo I, Count of Blois. The purpose was to protect his lands from attacks from his feudal rivals, Fulk Nerra, Count of Anjou. On his behalf the Norman Gelduin received it, improved it and held it as his own. His great-niece Denise de Fougère, having married Sulpice d'Amboise, passed the château into the Amboise family for five centuries.

Pierre d'Amboise unsuccessfully rebelled against King Louis XI and his property was confiscated, and the castle was dismantled on royal order in 1465. It was later rebuilt by Charles I d'Amboise from 1465–1475 and then finished by his son, Charles II d'Amboise de Chaumont from 1498–1510, with help from his uncle, Cardinal Georges d'Amboise; some Renaissance features were to be seen in buildings that retained their overall medieval appearance. The château was acquired by Catherine de Medici in 1550. There she entertained numerous astrologers, among them Nostradamus. When her husband, Henry II, died in 1559 she forced his mistress, Diane de Poitiers, to exchange Château de Chaumont for Château de Chenonceau which Henry had given to de Poitiers. Diane de Poitiers only lived at Chaumont for a short while.

Later Chaumont has changed hands several times. Paul de Beauvilliers bought the château in 1699, modernized some of its interiors and decorated it with sufficient grandeur to house the duc d'Anjou on his way to become king of Spain in 1700. Monsieur Bertin demolished the north wing to open the house towards the river view in the modern fashion.

In 1750, Jacques-Donatien Le Ray purchased the castle as a country home where he established a glassmaking and pottery factory. He was considered the French "Father of the American Revolution" because he loved America. However, in 1789, the new French Revolutionary Government seized Le Ray's assets, including his beloved Château de Chaumont.

The castle has been classified as a Monument historique since 1840 by the French Ministry of Culture. The Château de Chaumont is currently a museum and every year hosts a Garden Festival from April to October where contemporary garden designers display their work in an English-style garden.

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