Château de Troussay
CastleHidden Treasure
Château de Troussay, located in Cheverny (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
- Cheverny, Loir-et-Cher, Centre-Val de Loire
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.4914, 1.4233
- Mérimée Reference
- PA41000021
A discreet jewel in the Sologne region, Troussay conceals a unique collection of Renaissance artefacts saved from destruction in the 19th century.
© Wikimedia Commons
History
In the heart of the Blésois region, halfway between the rigour of Sologne and the splendour of the Loire, Château de Troussay cultivates the art of secrecy. Nestling three kilometres west of the imposing Cheverny and fifteen kilometres south of Blois, this manor house on a human scale blends into the landscape with the restraint of great things that don't need to impose themselves. Its U-shaped layout, its soberly proportioned main buildings and its courtyard enclosed by a simple low wall evoke the authenticity of rural seigniory. But Troussay's apparent simplicity is deceptive. Behind the modest façade lies one of the most unique heritage projects of 19th-century France: the passionate reconstruction of a scholar, Louis de La Saussaye, who turned his home into a veritable conservatory of the Blès Renaissance. Sixteenth-century stained glass windows, Gothic woodwork, exceptionally fine wood carvings - each element bears the memory of a demolished mansion, a sacrificed chapel, a condemned façade. The experience of visiting the site lies precisely in this superimposition of periods and intentions. The visitor wanders through spaces where the late Middle Ages are in dialogue with the Renaissance and the erudite gaze of the 19th century, without the whole ensemble ever lapsing into confusion. The interior rooms, furnished and decorated with care, recreate the atmosphere of a cultivated collector's home, far removed from the cold museification of the past. The outside setting adds to the charm of the place. The preserved farm outbuildings, the parkland with its variety of species and the serenity of the Sologne countryside invite you to take a stroll. Troussay will appeal as much to the architecture enthusiast as to the visitor looking for a break off the beaten track of the tourist Loire, in a green setting where time seems to stand still.
Architecture
Troussay is in the tradition of the small Solognot castle of the late Middle Ages: a U-shaped layout comprising three buildings - the main dwelling at the back of the courtyard and two wings of outbuildings - all enclosed to the south by a low wall that delimits the courtyard without hermetically sealing it off. This feature, probably inherited from a former ditched platform, gives the residence an immediate legibility and spatial coherence that subsequent interventions have not sought to break. The sober, carefully proportioned elevations combine local ashlar with discreet rendering, reflecting the successive alterations made to the construction. The Renaissance style can be seen above all in the details: dormer windows with ornate pediments, moulded window surrounds and slightly projecting pilasters that give structure to the façades without weighing them down. However, it is inside that the decorative wealth really shines through. The 16th-century stained glass windows illuminate the rooms with a colourful light that is rare for a residence of this modesty, while the Gothic and Renaissance wood panelling gives the rooms an unsuspected historical depth. The carved wooden door from the Château d'Onzain is in itself a masterpiece of the French Renaissance, with a finesse of execution comparable to the finest examples preserved in national museums. The ensemble reveals the hand of Jules de La Morandière, an architect trained in the orbit of Duban and sensitive to the doctrine of respect for the original character, who was able to harmonise the disparate contributions without obliterating the chronological reading of the building.
Related Figures
Louis de La Saussaye — historien, archéologue et collectionneur, propriétaire et maître d'ouvrage de la restauration (1850-1873), correspondant de MériméeJules de La Morandière — architecte départemental du Loir-et-Cher, successeur de Duban à Blois, maître d'œuvre de la restaurationFélix Duban — architecte en chef du château de Blois, modèle et inspirateur de La MorandièreProsper Mérimée — inspecteur général des Monuments Historiques, correspondant de La Saussaye et initiateur de la protection du patrimoine françaisAlexandre Lenoir — fondateur du Musée des Monuments Français, figure tutélaire dont La Saussaye perpétua l'esprit de sauvegardeL'abbé Grégoire — précurseur de la conscience patrimoniale révolutionnaire, référence intellectuelle de la démarche de La Saussaye
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Château de Troussay located?
Château de Troussay is located in Cheverny, Loir-et-Cher department, Centre-Val de Loire region, France.
When was Château de Troussay built?
Château de Troussay dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Château de Troussay open to visitors?
Château de Troussay is currently closed to visitors.