Château de la Noue
CastleHidden Treasure
Château de la Noue, located in Villedômer (Indre-et-Loire), 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
- Villedômer, Indre-et-Loire, Centre-Val de Loire
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.5429, 0.8692
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00098292
Set between two Renaissance-style cylindrical towers, the Château de la Noue showcases its 17th-century wood panelling in the unspoilt setting of Touraine, a listed historic monument in the heart of the Loire Valley.
© Wikimedia Commons
History
Nestling in the gentle rolling hills of deep Touraine, a few leagues from Tours, Château de la Noue is one of those discreet manor houses that the Loire jealously guards, far from the beaten tourist track. Its composite silhouette, flanked by two sturdy Renaissance cylindrical towers, bears witness to construction spread over several centuries, revealing the changing tastes and ambitions of its successive owners. What really sets La Noue apart from other châteaux of similar standing is the remarkable quality of its interior décor. Its salons have preserved intact a collection of 17th-century wood panelling - moulded panelling, sculpted trumeaux, ornate fireplace surrounds - which today bear rare witness to the decorative art of the Grand Siècle in Touraine. At a time when so many historic interiors have been remodelled or stripped bare, this continuity is truly striking. The extension built at the end of the 19th century, in the form of a wing set back at right angles, adds another layer of legibility to the history of the estate. Far from detracting from the ensemble, it illustrates the way in which the Belle Époque owners were able to work with the existing heritage, extending the château to meet the needs of a modernised aristocratic lifestyle while respecting the spirit of the original volumes. The natural setting plays an integral part in the charm of the place. The land surrounding the château, typical of the Lochois and Gâtine regions of Touraine, offers a landscape of open hedged farmland, centuries-old oak trees and shady lanes that invite you to take a stroll. The soft, pearly light of Touraine, celebrated by painters for centuries, envelops the blonde stone of the towers in an almost immaterial clarity in the early hours of the morning. Listed as a Historic Monument since 1948, Château de la Noue belongs to that category of residences that have to be earned: you have to know how to look for them to find them, but discovering them is an authentic experience, far removed from the spectacular staging of the great Loire sites.
Architecture
Château de la Noue is typical of late-Renaissance manor houses in Touraine: the main building is flanked by two imposing cylindrical towers, whose peaked roofs punctuate the skyline with quiet authority. These towers, which are thought to have been built in the 16th century, are built using carefully assayed tufa stone - the soft white stone that has made Loire architecture famous - and open out onto the exterior through rare mullioned windows, betraying a still medieval heritage in their defensive design. The interior reveals a completely different world. The lounges in the central section have preserved their 17th-century wood panelling, a remarkably coherent ensemble of sculpted panelling, ornate overmantels and fireplaces framed by moulded wood panelling with crossettes. This decoration, in the tradition of the Louis XIII style and the early years of the reign of Louis XIV, bears witness to first-rate regional craftsmanship. The proportions of the rooms, their beamed ceilings or painted joists, and their old oak parquet floors all contribute to the authentic atmosphere that characterises the place. The wing added at the end of the 19th century extends the building at a right angle, adopting a sober architectural vocabulary that respects the existing building, with regular openings and slate roofs in the Touraine tradition. Today, the ensemble forms an estate whose architectural interpretation, stratified over four centuries, offers an eloquent summary of changes in taste and building practices in Touraine.
Related Figures
Propriétaires seigneuriaux du XVIe siècle ayant commandé les tours cylindriques RenaissanceMaîtres d'œuvre locaux du Grand Siècle ayant réalisé les boiseries intérieures XVIIeFamille noble tourangelle du XVIIe siècle ayant transformé les intérieursPropriétaire de la Belle Époque ayant commandé l'extension en retour d'équerreCommission des Monuments Historiques (arrêté d'inscription, 1948)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Château de la Noue located?
Château de la Noue is located in Villedômer, Indre-et-Loire department, Centre-Val de Loire region, France.
When was Château de la Noue built?
Château de la Noue dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Château de la Noue open to visitors?
Château de la Noue is currently closed to visitors.