As I (or my sources of information) pointed out in yesterday's post, the forbidding fortress at Luynes was transformed into a comfortable residence (by the standards of the time) in the late 1500s. It was then acquired by new owners in 1619 and further improvements were undertaken. My photos here show what Luynes looked like int 2010, when I went there with my late friend CHM on one of our numerous day trips around the Loire Valley.
The same family has owned the Château de Luynes since 1619, if I can believe what I've read in guidebooks. The duke of Luynes lives there, and he is the 12th duke to do so since the early 17th century.
The Michelin Green guidebook for the Châteaux de la Loire says that in fact, only three families have owned and occupied the Château de Luynes since the 11th century. The Wikipédia article about it says it has not been open to the public since 2016.
Wow, that's a looooong time in the same family.
ReplyDeleteGreat door, with all of those door nails (as we've recently learned from Mitchell!).
I read your pronunciation help for me, thanks! So, I'll just think of the y as an i, and pronounce accordingly, as if it were Luines.
French pronunciation is fun to know because it's so tricky especially with the alliteration and accent on the second syllable. You can't learn it in a day. Hearing it spoken poorly (which I know I do, but not as bad as some) really hurts my ears. My granddaugthers were able to perfectly repeat what they heard which was like music to my ears.
ReplyDeleteIn Wikipedia, I learned that the 12th duke passed away and has been succeeded by Philippe d'Albert, 13th duc de Luynes. The current duke has a daughter and I’m curious about what happens to the dukedom when 13 passes. Does that end the title of Duc de Layne’s?
ReplyDeleteI don't really know, but the little bit of reading I've done makes me think the dukedom will disappear if the family line died out. No new noble titles are given out now. Nobles are born, not appointed, elected, or created. What I don't know is whether a duchess can pass on her title.
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