16 May 2017

Both sides now

This is a long-zoom panorama of the château at Saint-Aignan. It's the view from the north that you get when you drive into town and across the bridge, coming from the city of Blois. It looks almost like a row of grand but attached city houses.


From the south side, however, the appearance of the building is completely different. It looks more like what it is — a Renaissance-era château. The wing on the right, where the little car is parked, is still inhabited by the owner of the château, I believe. She's elderly, and her husband died a few years ago.


Visitors to the town and residents are welcome to go up to the château's main courtyard/terrace and see the outside of the building close up, but they are not allowed inside. I hope that someday — in my lifetime — the building will be opened up for visits and tours. I'd be very curious to see the interiors and the grand staircase. The old place certainly looms over the town and the river valley.


We are having summertime weather right now. Temperatures are supposed to hit the 25ºC mark this afternoon — that's close to 80F. Or, if you believe the forecasts on Télématin, I could get even hotter. That's more like July weather than May weather. We got a lot of good gardening work done yesterday.

8 comments:

  1. It looks as though this chateau was built piecemeal, at least the part facing the river, as money became available !

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  2. The same is true of the Château de Blois and even Chenonceau. Châteaux are houses, which like towns are always works in progress.

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  3. So, Ken, it looks like the couple who are handling the gîtes on the château property, are younger -- maybe 30s or 40s? Guillaume et Nathalie. But, Nathalie does seem to be the name of the Marquise. Do you think that this might be the daughter? or the daughter in law? Aux Grilles du Château, host profile

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  4. I think there are two La Roche-Aymon sons, but I haven't heard of a daughter. Don't depend on me for definitive infornation though.

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  5. It's so huge. My guess is that the interior must be in some state of disrepair. How could such a big place be well maintained?

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    1. I'm sure you're right, Lynn. But wouldn't it be fun to see in there?

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  6. Ok. One too many gorgeous photos. See you late July! Just bought tickets!

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    1. Good for you. Looking forward to seeing you two again.

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