Less than 15 miles downriver on the Loire from Gien, and about 25 miles upriver from the city of Orléans, stands what the Signpost guidebook for the Loire Valley calls "an awesome 14th-century château, solidly rectangular, guarded by mighty towers and turrets, and cleverly 'moated' by the river Sange", which is a tributary of the much wider and longer Loire. The name of the town and château here is Sully-sur-Loire and a member of the Sully family (Maurice) was the bishop of Paris from the year 1160 until 1196 — it was he who came up with the idea of building the Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral back then.
The famous writer/philosopher Voltaire spent long periods of time at the Château de Sully-sur-Loire in the late 1600s and early 1700s when another Sully, Maximilien de Béthune, a friend of Voltaire's who had been named the Duke of Sully, was serving as the finance minister of the French king Henri IV of "Paris is well worth a mass" and "a chicken in every pot" fame.
The Château de Sully has a
donjon (castle keep) with a 600-year-old roof structure. The castle itself had nearly completely fallen into ruin at the end of the Second World War. The town of Sully, like Gien, had been 80% destroyed when bombed by the Germans and subsequently by Allied forces. The castle has been beautifully restored since those days.
The Michelin Guide Vert for the Châteaux de la Loire says that while this château is undoubtedly a fortress and a good example of military architecture, what give it its charm is
les reflets du soleil sur ses vieilles pierres, l'ombre et le murmure des grands arbres sur ses douves miroitantes, son petit pont, ses toits coiffés d'ardoises, et enfin, son doux ciel de Loire. 
The famous writer/philosopher Voltaire spent long periods of time at the Château de Sully-sur-Loire in the late 1600s and early 1700s when another Sully, Maximilien de Béthune, a friend of Voltaire's who had been named the Duke of Sully, was serving as the finance minister of the French king Henri IV of "Paris is well worth a mass" and "a chicken in every pot" fame.
The Château de Sully has a donjon (castle keep) with a 600-year-old roof structure. The castle itself had nearly completely fallen into ruin at the end of the Second World War. The town of Sully, like Gien, had been 80% destroyed when bombed by the Germans and subsequently by Allied forces. The castle has been beautifully restored since those days.
The Michelin Guide Vert for the Châteaux de la Loire says that while this château is undoubtedly a fortress and a good example of military architecture, what give it its charm is les reflets du soleil sur ses vieilles pierres, l'ombre et le murmure des grands arbres sur ses douves miroitantes, son petit pont, ses toits coiffés d'ardoises, et enfin, son doux ciel de Loire. 
This may be my favorite of your castle posts. Voltaire staying here makes it very special.
ReplyDeleteFunny that you would post this fabulous château today... I had a poster of it on my entry door at school for 20 years, and today is the first day of school... but, not for me! First day of my second year of retirement!
ReplyDeleteI've never been to Sully-sur-Loire, and never seen this perspective that really shows the medieval beginnings, nor did I know anything about it. Thanks, Ken!
That last picture is really great. We've gone from brick to stone chateaux now. "douves miroitantes" - these were new words for me.
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