Château de la Borde
CastleHidden Treasure
Château de la Borde, located in Vernou-en-Sologne (Loir-et-Cher), is a Renaissance château built in the 16th century. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- Castle
- Period
- Renaissance (16th century)
- Location
- Vernou-en-Sologne, Loir-et-Cher, Centre-Val de Loire
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.4931, 1.6719
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00132571
A discreet jewel of Louis XIV-era Sologne, Château de la Borde boasts a rare paneling attributed to Jean Bérain, taken from a Paris hotel and reinstalled in Loir-et-Cher. A time capsule between forests and ponds.
© Wikimedia Commons
History
Lost in the gentle woodlands of the Sologne, Château de la Borde stands away from the main roads and crowds, true to the discretion that its builders gave it in the mid-seventeenth century. Built between 1643 and 1645, it belongs to that generation of provincial pleasure houses which, without rivalling the royal splendour, reveal all the sober elegance of nascent French classicism. Its human scale and coherent volumes make it a precious example of residential architecture from the first half of the Grand Siècle. What really sets La Borde apart from other châteaux in the Sologne region is the exceptional panelling attributed to Jean Bérain, Louis XIV's official decorator and master of the French arabesque and grotesque. Produced between 1687 and 1688 for the Hôtel de Mailly in Paris, this wood panelling was transferred here at the beginning of the 20th century, as if to save from oblivion a work too beautiful to disappear in the demolition or dispersal of a Parisian interior. Today, it is one of the rare Bérain pieces to have survived in an intact domestic setting. The setting surrounding the château has itself changed with the times: over the course of the 19th century, the French-style gardens gave way to English-style landscaped gardens, with their gentle perspectives, still waters and isolated trees, typical of horticultural romanticism. This marriage of classical architecture and romantic gardens creates a special atmosphere, where time seems suspended between two eras. La Borde is for lovers of authentic heritage, those who prefer subtlety to the spectacular. A visit here is a rare opportunity to contemplate a building that has changed little since it was built, in a natural environment that plays a full part in the composition. Photographers in search of subdued light and reflections on the ponds, art historians attracted by the decorative arts of the reign of Louis XIV: everyone will find something to marvel at here.
Architecture
Château de la Borde illustrates the French provincial classicism of the early 17th century, characterised by a volumetric sobriety far removed from the Mannerist experiments of the previous century. The main building, probably laid out on a rectangular plan with corner pavilions, adopts the regular layout and symmetry of the facades that define the late Louis XIII style: mullioned or transomed windows, steeply pitched roofs covering habitable attic space, ashlar quoins. The overall impression is one of measured balance, typical of the homes of the provincial gentry of the period. The interior contains the jewel of the building: the panelled room attributed to Jean Bérain, transferred from the Hôtel de Mailly. Bérain's decor can be recognised by the finesse of its ornamentation, combining arabesques, grotesque figures, foliage and architectural motifs, all treated with a graphic lightness that heralds the Regency style. This panelling reflects the taste at the end of the 17th century for interiors clad entirely in painted or carved woodwork, where every surface becomes a pretext for a decorative narrative. The fact that it was installed in a country château in the Sologne region makes it even more distinctive, taking it out of the urban context for which it was designed. The park, redesigned in the 19th century according to the canons of English landscape gardening, creates a fluid setting of plants around the building. Tall trees, open lawns and water features typical of the Sologne enhance the façades. The gallery added to the ground floor during the twentieth century, sober in its treatment, provides a link between the interior spaces and the park without disrupting the harmony of the whole.
Related Figures
Jean Bérain l'Ancien — décorateur du Cabinet du Roi sous Louis XIV, auteur du lambris (1687-1688)Propriétaire bâtisseur anonyme (vers 1643-1645) — commanditaire du châteauPropriétaire du début du XXe siècle — responsable du transfert du lambris bérain depuis Paris
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Château de la Borde located?
Château de la Borde is located in Vernou-en-Sologne, Loir-et-Cher department, Centre-Val de Loire region, France.
When was Château de la Borde built?
Château de la Borde dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Château de la Borde open to visitors?
Château de la Borde is currently closed to visitors.