Château de la Thomasserie
CastleHidden Treasure
Château de la Thomasserie, located in Vallières-les-Grandes (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
- Vallières-les-Grandes, Loir-et-Cher, Centre-Val de Loire
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.4312, 1.1439
- Mérimée Reference
- PA41000062
An 18th-century hunting lodge surrounded by moats, Château de la Thomasserie boasts a vaulted painted ceiling that is unique in the Centre region: the chariot of Diana and its four seasons await you.
History
Nestling in the gentle Loire Valley at the gateway to Vallières-les-Grandes, Château de la Thomasserie is one of those discreet jewels that the Blès countryside hides away with aristocratic coquetry. Surrounded by moats that give it a silhouette that is both intimate and solemn, this U-shaped hunting lodge unfurls its wings between the main courtyard and the park, in a balanced composition characteristic of French taste in the second half of the 18th century. What really sets La Thomasserie apart from the many manor houses in Touraine is its central vestibule - a rare, if not unique, feature in the entire Centre region. Beneath an arch with generous curves, a painted ceiling reveals the triumphal chariot of Diana framed by seductive allegories of the four seasons. The composition, executed on a red base that warms the palette and enhances the depth of the tones, evokes the hushed atmosphere of the great royal hunting lodges without ever becoming ostentatious. The adjoining dining room contains another treasure: panelling and a set of cupboards whose wooden panelling bears witness to a refined taste inherited from the first decades of the 18th century. On the stone mantels of the fireplaces, two royal portraits painted directly on the stone confront the visitor with the gaze of absolute power: Louis XIV full-length and in armour, after Hyacinthe Rigaud, signed by Louis-Alexandre Lefebvre, and the young Louis XV in the same warrior posture, after Jean-Baptiste Van Loo. The property as a whole, enriched in the 19th century by a courtyard of outbuildings - barn, stables, woodshed, accommodation - and transformed in the 1920s by the addition of a storey to the west wing and an orangery, makes up a living estate, an architectural palimpsest where three centuries of seigneurial life can be read through stone and rendering. Listed as a Historic Monument in 2009, Château de la Thomasserie is an ideal destination for anyone looking to get away from the beaten track and experience the intimacy of the great provincial families.
Architecture
Château de la Thomasserie adopts a classic U-shaped plan, a typical layout for pleasure pavilions in the second half of the 18th century in France: a central body flanked by two wings that project slightly forward creates an open main courtyard on the entrance side, while the opposite façade overlooks the park. The whole complex is surrounded by moats, a picturesque feature that recalls medieval defensive traditions, but here fulfils a purely decorative and landscaping role, emphasising the silhouette of the building with an elegance characteristic of the Rococo and pre-romantic taste. Blonde ashlar from the Loire Valley, probably local tufa stone, is probably the main material used for the façades, giving them the warm, luminous hue so typical of domestic architecture in the Loire Valley. The interior is carefully laid out, with the central section arranged around a vast through vestibule, opened on either side by wide doors creating a view of the parklands. This vestibule is crowned by a vaulted ceiling of rare sophistication, decorated with Diana's chariot surrounded by allegories of the Four Seasons painted on a red base - a technique that reinforces the chromatic intensity of the composition. The wings house a series of lounges, a library and a dining room, whose panelled wood panelling predates the current building, suggesting that it was decorated in the early years of the 18th century. Alterations carried out in the 1920s - raising the height of the west wing and adding an orangery - enriched the ensemble without altering its overall stylistic coherence.
Related Figures
Hyacinthe Rigaud — peintre officiel de Louis XIV dont le portrait a servi de modèle pour la cheminée du vestibuleLouis-Alexandre Lefebvre — peintre signataire du portrait de Louis XIV peint sur le manteau de cheminéeJean-Baptiste Van Loo — peintre flamand dont l'œuvre représentant le jeune Louis XV a été reproduite sur la cheminée opposéeLouis XIV — représenté en pied et en armure dans le décor peint du vestibuleLouis XV — représenté adolescent en armure dans le décor peint de la salle à mangerDiane (mythologie) — figure tutélaire du château, dont le char triomphal orne le plafond du vestibule, en référence à la vocation cynégétique du pavillon
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Château de la Thomasserie located?
Château de la Thomasserie is located in Vallières-les-Grandes, Loir-et-Cher department, Centre-Val de Loire region, France.
When was Château de la Thomasserie built?
Château de la Thomasserie dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Château de la Thomasserie open to visitors?
Château de la Thomasserie is currently closed to visitors.