One thing about the recent high waters on the Cher and the localized flooding is positive: it got me back into old Saint-Aignan with my camera again. It had been a few years since I'd played the tourist in my own home town (well, adopted town). First photo: here's what you see when you enter Saint-Aignan from the north, coming from Blois.
Yes, that's the château. It looms over the town and the river. It's not open to the public. As far as I know, the owner, a woman who is an aristocrat — une marquise, actually — still lives there. Her husband the marquis passed away more than a decade ago. She's elderly now, and I don't know what will happen to the château when she passes on. Maybe her heirs will decide to let people like us in to see the place.
Above is a view of a section of the château that I took from the road that runs along the river, near the bridge. I'm posting these images at a pretty large size. Click on them to open them in a new window, and click again when you see the magnifying glass icon with a plus sign in it.
Seen from the back when you arrive from Blois, the Château de Saint-Aignan might look a little eclectic (a hodgepodge of styles). But seen from the front, it's a beautiful Renaissance edifice. You can't go inside, but you can trudge up a gravel path, or a paved tree-lined road, or up a grand staircase from the nearby church, and spend some time on the château terrace to get a good look at the exterior of the buildings, as well as views out over the river valley.
There is so much difference between the two sides of the chateau they don't seem to belong to the same building!
ReplyDeleteAs I understood it at the time, the chateau de Saint-Aignan belonged to a cousin of my late neighbor in Paris. I should have tried to get a recommendation from her. Too late!
DeleteOff topic attempt at html:
DeleteHere is a link about the musée municipal at Péronne in Hauts-de-France.
Hooray! It almost worked. The THE should not be in yellow. Next time I'll know better.
DeleteL'auto portrait est fabuleux ( ainsi que les autres soi-dit en passant) et ressemble à quelqu'un :-)
DeleteOur village chateau (much smaller) also is a hodgepodge of styles and eras. The various owners just kept adding on. Probably the same thing happened here.
ReplyDeleteMy bet is it will be turned into a hotel after la marquise passes. Some of these big places got converted into government offices (as in our village), but austerity has put a stop to that.
I wonder if the owners could get permission to turn such a château into a hotel. They do already have two gîtes on the property.
DeleteI like the hodgepodge of the building. I hope it will be used in a good way someday. It is quite safe from high waters like your home.
ReplyDeleteWonderful ~
ReplyDeleteKen
ReplyDeleteA little piece that I found whilst doing a search on the Château:
http://www.lanouvellerepublique.fr/Loir-et-Cher/Communes/Saint-Aignan/n/Contenus/Articles/2015/07/09/Occupation-des-temoignages-filmes-2397786
Mareuil is mentioned .
A bit more about the family:
En Indre-et-Loire, les la Roche Aymon gèrent le domaine du Mousseau à Saint-Aignan. La famille gère également en Groupement Forestier des forêts à Vandenesse et Saint-Aignan-sur-Cher (Indre-et-Loire) et intervient à Arles, dans les Bouches-du-Rhônes, dans les GFA du Vedeau, des Charlots, de Barcarin Ouest et au GRPT agricole Foncier de Barcarin Est
Roche Aymon
So, what exactly is a marquis(e)? I've wondered, too, about what the difference is between a count and a duke. I imagine I can find answers if I Google around, but your post just made of think of what I don't know LOL :)
ReplyDelete