Château de Gizeux
Encyclopedia
The Château de Gizeux is an important edifice, dating from the Middle Ages
and much altered over the centuries, notably during the Renaissance
and the Age of Enlightenment
.
The Château de Gizeux in located in the commune
of Gizeux
in the Indre-et-Loire
département of France, in what used to be the province of Anjou
. It is one of the Châteaux of the Loire.
The château stands at the heart of the Parc naturel régional Loire-Anjou-Touraine. The building is 250 metres lg, making it the longest château in Touraine angevine
.
and 25 kilometres from Saumur
, within the green and wooded parc naturel régional de Loire-Anjou-Touraine. It is mid-way between Angers
and Tours
.
The château was part of the former province of Anjou and today is in Touraine angevine. It was built on the site of a 14th century castle
.
from 1315 to 1660.
The château then became the property of several marquises of Gizeux from the family of Contades
.
In 1789, during the French Revolution
, Prince Louis Gabriel de Contades (1759-1825), opposing the revolutionaries, had to flee from French soil and find refuge in Saint-Domingue
. He only returned to Gizeux in 1801.
The Château de Gizeux was a dependancy of the sénéchaussée de Saumur and the former province of Anjou.
In 1790, this part of Anjou, stretching from Bourgueil
in the south to Château-la-Vallière
in the north and including Gizeux, was attached to the département of Indre-et-Loire
.
.
The château has two large galleries of paintings: the Galerie François Ier (François I) decorated with Italian paintings form the start of the 17th century, and the Grande Galerie des Châteaux decorated with late 17th century painting, including panels representing royal palaces and rural scenes covering more than 400m2.
The park land was established in 1829.
Nearby, a church houses the Du Bellays' splendid tombs. The extremely rare 17th century orant
s were made of white marble by Ghislain (known as Cambrai), director of the Académie royale de peinture et sculpture
in Paris.
The Château de Gizeux has been listed since 1945 as a monument historique
by the French Ministry of Culture.
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
and much altered over the centuries, notably during the Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
and the Age of Enlightenment
Age of Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment was an elite cultural movement of intellectuals in 18th century Europe that sought to mobilize the power of reason in order to reform society and advance knowledge. It promoted intellectual interchange and opposed intolerance and abuses in church and state...
.
The Château de Gizeux in located in the commune
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
of Gizeux
Gizeux
Gizeux is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France....
in the Indre-et-Loire
Indre-et-Loire
Indre-et-Loire is a department in west-central France named after the Indre and the Loire rivers.-History:Indre-et-Loire is one of the original 83 départements created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790...
département of France, in what used to be the province of Anjou
Anjou
Anjou is a former county , duchy and province centred on the city of Angers in the lower Loire Valley of western France. It corresponds largely to the present-day département of Maine-et-Loire...
. It is one of the Châteaux of the Loire.
The château stands at the heart of the Parc naturel régional Loire-Anjou-Touraine. The building is 250 metres lg, making it the longest château in Touraine angevine
Touraine
The Touraine is one of the traditional provinces of France. Its capital was Tours. During the political reorganization of French territory in 1790, the Touraine was divided between the departments of Indre-et-Loire, :Loir-et-Cher and Indre.-Geography:...
.
Geography
The Château de Gizeux is situated some fifteen kilometres north of BourgueilBourgueil
Bourgueil is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France.The inhabitants of the town of Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil are "Nicolaisiens St., San Nicolaisiennes."-Bourgueil wine:...
and 25 kilometres from Saumur
Saumur
Saumur is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France.The historic town is located between the Loire and Thouet rivers, and is surrounded by the vineyards of Saumur itself, Chinon, Bourgueil, Coteaux du Layon, etc...
, within the green and wooded parc naturel régional de Loire-Anjou-Touraine. It is mid-way between Angers
Angers
Angers is the main city in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France about south-west of Paris. Angers is located in the French region known by its pre-revolutionary, provincial name, Anjou, and its inhabitants are called Angevins....
and Tours
Tours
Tours is a city in central France, the capital of the Indre-et-Loire department.It is located on the lower reaches of the river Loire, between Orléans and the Atlantic coast. Touraine, the region around Tours, is known for its wines, the alleged perfection of its local spoken French, and for the...
.
The château was part of the former province of Anjou and today is in Touraine angevine. It was built on the site of a 14th century castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
.
History
The manor of Gizeux belonged to the family of the poet Joachim du BellayJoachim du Bellay
Joachim du Bellay was a French poet, critic, and a member of the Pléiade.-Biography:He was born at the Château of La Turmelière, not far from Liré, near Angers, being the son of Jean du Bellay, Lord of Gonnor, first cousin of the cardinal Jean du Bellay and of Guillaume du Bellay.Both his parents...
from 1315 to 1660.
The château then became the property of several marquises of Gizeux from the family of Contades
Louis Georges Érasme de Contades
Louis Georges Érasme de Contades was the 6th Marquis de Contades and Seigneur de Montgeoffroi. He was a Marshal of France and a major battlefield commander during the Seven Years' War. He notably commanded the French forces at the 1759 Battle of Minden.He was born to Gaspard de Contades and his...
.
In 1789, during the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, Prince Louis Gabriel de Contades (1759-1825), opposing the revolutionaries, had to flee from French soil and find refuge in Saint-Domingue
Saint-Domingue
The labour for these plantations was provided by an estimated 790,000 African slaves . Between 1764 and 1771, the average annual importation of slaves varied between 10,000-15,000; by 1786 it was about 28,000, and from 1787 onward, the colony received more than 40,000 slaves a year...
. He only returned to Gizeux in 1801.
The Château de Gizeux was a dependancy of the sénéchaussée de Saumur and the former province of Anjou.
In 1790, this part of Anjou, stretching from Bourgueil
Bourgueil
Bourgueil is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France.The inhabitants of the town of Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil are "Nicolaisiens St., San Nicolaisiennes."-Bourgueil wine:...
in the south to Château-la-Vallière
Château-la-Vallière
Château-la-Vallière is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire département in central France.-Château de Vaujours:The Château de Vaujours, situated three trois kilometres south of Château-la-Vallière, is an ancient fortress from the 12th and 15th centuries. It belonged to the manor of Chasteaux-en-Anjou,...
in the north and including Gizeux, was attached to the département of Indre-et-Loire
Indre-et-Loire
Indre-et-Loire is a department in west-central France named after the Indre and the Loire rivers.-History:Indre-et-Loire is one of the original 83 départements created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790...
.
Description
The buildings have conserved the parts built at different times. Thus, the medieval style mixes with that of the RenaissanceRenaissance architecture
Renaissance architecture is the architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 17th centuries in different regions of Europe, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought and material culture. Stylistically, Renaissance...
.
The château has two large galleries of paintings: the Galerie François Ier (François I) decorated with Italian paintings form the start of the 17th century, and the Grande Galerie des Châteaux decorated with late 17th century painting, including panels representing royal palaces and rural scenes covering more than 400m2.
The park land was established in 1829.
Nearby, a church houses the Du Bellays' splendid tombs. The extremely rare 17th century orant
Orant
Orant is a type of gesture during prayer in which the hands are raised, set apart, and the palms face outward. It was once common in early Christianity, and can frequently be seen in early Christian art...
s were made of white marble by Ghislain (known as Cambrai), director of the Académie royale de peinture et sculpture
Académie de peinture et de sculpture
The Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture , Paris, was founded in 1648, modelled on Italian examples, such as the Accademia di San Luca in Rome. Paris already had the Académie de Saint-Luc, which was a city artist guild like any other Guild of Saint Luke...
in Paris.
The Château de Gizeux has been listed since 1945 as a monument historique
Monument historique
A monument historique is a National Heritage Site of France. It also refers to a state procedure in France by which national heritage protection is extended to a building or a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings, or gardens, bridges, and other structures, because of their...
by the French Ministry of Culture.