Chateau de Villandry

Visit Chateau de Villandry, Loire Valley

The Château de Villandry is located in Villandry, in the département of Indre-et-Loire, France and to the south-west of Tours. It is one of the most impressive of the castles of the Loire Valley to visit, both for the castle itself and also for its very extensive gardens.

Brief History of Chateau de Villandry

The lands where Villandry now stands once held an ancient fortress in a region known as Colombier. It was here that King Philip II of France once met Richard I of England (“the Lionhearted”) to discuss peace.

Acquired in the early 1500’s by Jean Le Breton, France’s Controller-General for War under King Francois I, a new château was constructed around the original 14th-century keep and completed in 1536.

The castle remained in the Le Breton family for more than two centuries until it was acquired by the Marquis de Castellane, who made substantial additions to the building and also furnished it in a comfortable 18th century style. Three decades later during the French Revolution the property was confiscated and in the early 1800’s Emperor Napoleon acquired it for his brother Joseph Bonaparte.

Over the next 100 years the castle was left to abandon and fell to ruin. Then in 1906 the castle was saved when Dr. Joachim Carvallo purchased the property and poured an enormous amount of time, money and devotion into repairing the castle and creating what many consider to be the most beautiful gardens anywhere in the world.

Visiting Chateau de Villandry

The gardens with the castle as backdrop are the main attraction at Chateau de Villandry, although the interior of the castle also has some beatiful decoration and furnished rooms to see when you visit, including the dining room and kitchens.

Its famous Renaissance gardens include ornamental flower gardens, a water garden, and vegetable gardens.

The extensive ornamental gardens are mostly laid out in the formal French style using meticulously clipped box hedges and consist of several areas consecrated to different themes. The water garden includes a pond area and fountains and is a peaceful contrast to the ornamental gardens.

In 1934, Château de Villandry was designated a Monument historique. It also falls within the Loire Valley World Heritage Site.

Still owned by the Carvallo family, the Château de Villandry is open to the public and is one of the most visited castles in France.

See more Loire Valley castles.

See Centre and Indre-et-Loire (the region and department for Chateau de Villandry) for more travel ideas...

Suggested places to visit near Chateau de Villandry, France

Distances shown are direct, driving distances will be greater.

More suggestions: Chateau Chinon 28km; Chateau du Rivau 30km; Candes-Saint-Martin 36km; Chateau d'Amboise 36km; Montsoreau 37km; Fontevraud Abbey 39km; Chateau de Chenonceau 42km; Chateau du Lude 43km; Loches 45km; Saumur 45km; Chateau de Saumur 46km;

Chateau de Villandry tourist information: sights and attractions nearby

Les jardins du château de Villandry - remarkable garden (0km) : Les jardins de la Chatonnière - remarkable garden (9km) : Saint-Cyr-sur-Loire - ville fleurie 4* (13km) : Les jardins du prieuré de Saint-Cosme - remarkable garden (13km) : Cloisters of la Psalette - national monument (15km) : Le jardin des Prébendes d'Oé - remarkable garden (15km) : Parc et jardins du château de Valmer - remarkable garden (30km) : Parc de Lathan - remarkable garden (31km) :

See more places and a map at places near Chateau de Villandry