...is in the town of the same name, located in the old Berry province. Culan (pop. 732) had 1,820 inhabitants in the year 1881 but the population has been declining steadily ever since. There are over 500 logements (housing units) in the town, including 76 résidences secondaires that are occupied only occasionally or seasonally. There is a small grocery store in the town, but the closest supermarkets are in Châteaumeillant, eight miles west, or in Montluçon, a 30-minute drive south. Culan is a two-hour drive south of Blois and a one-hour drive south of Bourges.
The Château de Culan was built between the years 1200 and 1500, replacing an earlier château that was besiegedand ordered demolished by the French king Philippe Auguste in 1188. Notable people who have visited include
Joan of Arc in 1429, king Louis XI in 1465, and later Madame de Sévigné, George Sand, Chopin,
and General de Gaulle. That's according to Wikipédia. CHM and CKB visited in 2009,
but didn't get a mention in Wikipédia.
This side of the chateau is definitely Renaissance. It’s beautiful in its simplicity. I’m beginning to doubt Joan of Arc morality, she slept in so many places...
ReplyDeletechm, lol! I would have put you two first in the Wikipedia entry. Internet says the chateau is closed to visitors now.
DeleteNeither Wikipédia nor I said that Joan slept there! She just visited.
DeleteD., CHM and I didn't take the tour because it was a guided tour only. Those are often not very good.
Isn't the building too plain and blocky to be Renaissance?
DeleteHa! We could add you! :)
ReplyDeleteYes, I thought that was the "problem" with using wikipedia... people who contribute aren't necessarily valid sources! Go ahead, Judy, and see if you can had Ken and CHM!
ReplyDeleteIn writing about towns, châteaux, and churches, I try to read as many sources as I can find on the internet. I also read guide books and I try to distill the content into something coherent. I also try to emphasize photos rather than text. Ninety-nine percent of the photos I post are mine, and I try to give credit for photos that are not my personal work.
Delete