AZEY LE RIDEAU

Castle Azey-le-Rideau towers over the picturesque bend of the river Indre. The name "Azey" comes perhaps from Asiacus, the owner of the land. City Azey, founded back in the era of ancient Rome, turned with time into a powerful stone fortification from which to observe the sentinel wander through the Indre. 

In the XII century the castle belonged to Rideau or Riedel d'Azey - the man famous for his cruelty, and nicknamed "devil's spawn." Heinrich II Plantagenet took all of his possession, which were then returned to Philip-August Rideau son - Hugo, Tyurennskomu knight true vassal king, who took part in the Battle of Buvine. In the early XV century castle in apparently belonged to the Duke of Burgundy. Humiliation caused dauphin, the future Charles VII, and his army, led in 1418 to the massacre of a fortress: 354 people from the garrison were killed, and the castle and village - burned and looted. From this moment because of the ruins of the city got its name Azey-le brulee (burned). And only a century later at the site of the old fortress was built castle, which stands to this day. To better understand the characteristics of the new castle, it is necessary to restore the chain of historical events of recent years, the XV century. Charles VIII and Louis XII made military campaigns in Italy and were surprised the rapid flowering of art and culture on the peninsula. Returning to France, they were attracted to his court many Italian artists, who were forced to work for themselves. 

Loire Valley, which since the time of Charles VII chosen court, became a place where these artists have left their indelible footprint. The Italian influence, affecting the architecture of the castle AMBOISE and expressed in the conversion of the castle BLOIS, it soon became available in generic castles and mansions of the rich aristocracy, bourgeois. Gilles spit, the owner of estates in Azey-le-Rideau, was at the beginning of 1500 a major banker, whose father - Martin Berthelot - served as quartermaster in the Chamber of Finance of Louis XI and Karl VIII. For his part, Gil also made an excellent career and became the advisor to the King, the head of the Chamber of Accounts and the ruler of the city of Tura. His marriage with Philip Loeb, owner of the main part of the territory in Azey, gave him the opportunity to dispose of all the estate and to begin work on the construction of the castle. 

Financial and political support provided by Zhilyu some members of his family, hold administrative positions, allowed him to begin in 1518 an extensive reconstruction of a medieval castle. During the summer of that year, 120 masons, under the leadership of Maître Etienne Rousseau began work on laying a foundation. Initially, it was necessary to remove the remnants of the destroyed castle and drain the area to score piles, which was to keep a strong structure. For construction use white sandstone of the valley of the River Cher. Stone brought by river to the Port-au-Sha'lan, near Waller, from the remaining 10 kilometers of it carried on the carts. 

The castle with its unusual H-shaped marks the transition from Gothic to Renaissance, claiming a new concept for residential construction, which ceases to be a defensive fortress and becomes an elegant suburban residence. Only some specific details of the Gothic style, such as ostroverhie aspidnye roofs, and some defensive elements was made the spirit of the Renaissance. His special refined elegance of the building is under an obligation not only Maître Russo, sculptor and carpenter Mopuenu Pierre Jacques Toro, but also the wife of a noble liege - Philippe, who led the work, which gave the entire ensemble print elegant sophistication. Balzac, who, in the vicinity of Azey wrote his novel "Lily of the valley, described Azey:" climbed a cliff, I first admired the castle Azey, this diamond cut, pasted in the frame of water Andrew, stands on stilts, disguised with flowers. " 

Outside the castle is surrounded by angle protruding towers, linked together at the top of the false sentinel belt, performing the role of decorative ornament. Design features, traditional old ancestral castles, harmoniously combined with decorative elements of the facades are clearly gravitating to the style of the Italian Renaissance. Sculpted pylons, crowned by capitals that support the eaves; lyukarny with gables, decorated volute dosserets and Nimba counties in the form of shells, as well as the symmetry of the entire ensemble as a whole reveal antikiziruyuschee the influence of Italian architecture. This is demonstrated in the grand staircase in the entrance to which is connected together through two doors, which were reliefs salamanders - emblem of Francis I, and ermine - emblems of Claude de France. Three high flyer aborted landings with paired windows, Italian loggias, with a beautiful view of the gardens. Caisson stone stairs adorned with arches arches with sculptured images (XIX a) The Kings and Queens XV and XVI centuries. The new design of the ladder making it one of the most remarkable specimens of French Renaissance architecture. Thanks to new artistic developments narrow spiral staircase of medieval buildings a thing of the past. 

In the Renaissance in preference to stairs with straight wide marches, stairs, lit no loopholes, and the wide gap, giving not only the best coverage of the interior, but you can see the beautiful gardens. On the first floor of the castle is the Royal apartments, the Red bedroom and other rooms, including kitchen. On the second floor Dining Room, Ballroom, rest and peace I Francis Claude de France, as well as the blue bedroom. 

Zhilyu Berthelot was unable to complete the construction of the castle. His cousin Samblanse, Superintendent of Financial Affairs, was accused of embezzling money from the public purse, and hanged in Monfokone. Gilles fled to the free city of Metz, to protect yourself from possible trouble. There, in exile, he died ten years later. Francis I seized the castle and all its contents, and handed him the captain of his guards - Antoine Raffinu, which finished construction work. 

Subsequently, when Francis I finally moved his residence in Paris, meaning TOURAINE fell. Azey Chateau-le-Rideau passed into the hands of families Kosee de Gonnor, Sept Jelly de Lusignan and de Vassa. In 1603 built a chapel, served as a family burial place for the owners of the castle, which, since that time constantly succeeded one another. 

In the XVII century the kings of France, only occasionally visited Azey-le-Rideau: at 1619 Sep Jelly taken here of Louis XIII; possibly in 1650, stayed here Louis XIV. In the XVII century the castle was surrounded by office buildings destined for the maintenance staff and stables. Other work on the renovation have been taken in the 1845 Marquis de Benkur, owner of the castle, which had ordered the right to redo the tower front yard, built back in the Middle Ages, 20 years later, was built in the style of the other tower (from the same material, which used for centuries), to give balance to one of the facades. 

In 1871, after the defeat of the French army occupied the castle Prussian troops, commandeer it from the Marquis de Benkur; 19 February the same year, Prince Friedrich-Karl Prussian stayed in the castle with its own headquarters. Report that during the dinner, which served in the kitchen, a huge chandelier, stripped the castle set, hit the table, just not killing the prince. Friedrich-Karl felt that the assassination attempt on his life, his officers and a large labor cost to persuade him not to burn the castle in revenge. After the departure of the Prince and his officers returned to the castle to its rightful owners and was sold in 1904 due to financial difficulties within the family. The new owner, M. Artaud, in turn, sold the castle of State for 200000 francs, after which he finally was restored, and the surrounding park and beach by Andrew acquired their original appearance. Inside the castle was equipped museum of Renaissance, which kept the furniture, tapestries, household items and paintings. This should draw attention to a canopy bed that belonged to Marshal Pierre Filloy de la Barry, who died during the siege of Nice in 1705. This bed of silky cover, embroidered with colorful floral patterns set in the Blue Bedroom, and the Red Bedroom is another bed under the canopy of shtofnogo linen. This bed was formerly in the castle Effiat. Among the Renaissance furniture, decorated the halls of the castle, should mention the rest of the chest Francis I, decorated with columns, medallions, fantastic animals. In the kitchen is also a neat chest carved with two profiles in the foreground. Here, in addition, exhibited specimens sideboard, ceramic and metal cookware, grids, forceps, cutting forks, basins, jugs ... 

Collection of tapestries, stored in the castle include a panel of XVI century, entitled "Three Parks", conducted in Brussels and presented to the ball room with another tapestry of the same period of vegetative ornament. The other walls of this room is decorated with four large Flemish tapestries XVII century on biblical subjects: Reconciliation of Esau and Jacob, the Court of Solomon, Noah's Ark, and visit the queen of Sheba to Solomon. Dining room of the ground floor is decorated with Flemish tapestries XVI century on the subjects: Queen Semiramida, Royal Ambassador and Baltassarov feast. Gobelins Royal rooms are made on the sketches of Simon Vue on the plot of "Love Rinaldo and Armida." In the Blue Bedroom, we can see the castles of Versailles and Vinsensky two tapestries Manufactory Lille and scenes of hunting in other Manufactory of Beauvais tapestries. The museum also presents many Renaissance portraits of the kings of France and their families, among them - Francis I, Heinrich II, Catherine de Medici, Francis II, Charles IX, Heinrich III, Valois Margaret and Lev XIV.