The Château of Villandry, in the Centre Val de Loire region, is a Renaissance château that is located at the heart of three levels of terraced gardens. It is the last of the great Renaissance châteaux to have been built on the banks of the Loire River. Although the estate is renowned for the harmony of its architecture, it is especially well-known for its gardens that spread across three terraces and combine aesthetics, diversity, and harmony.
The decorative kitchen garden mixes both flowers and vegetables in a checker-board design with a profusion of plants. From one season to the next the plantations change, offering a constantly renewed, three-dimensional painting of plants.
The water garden is indisputably the most peaceful of the gardens on the estate. Its central stretch of water plays an essential role in the creation of a relaxing atmosphere; the sound of the fountains and the wide open areas of lawn generate a sense of calm and tranquillity. An ideal location for relaxation and dreaming!
In the ornamental garden, the boxwood forms musical symbols, hearts, spirals, butterflies, fans, and more; all of which are allegories of tender, passionate, inconstant and tragic love.
To complete the visit of the estate, make a trip to the "simple garden" where medicinal and culinary plants are grown together. Also, be sure not to miss the new sun garden or the hedge maze where children, like their elders, love getting lost.
The Villandry estate has belonged to the Carvallo family since 1906. At the beginning of the 20th century, Joachim Carvallo rebuilt the Renaissance gardens which had been previously replaced by an English landscape park in the 19th century. The Château of Villandry is a friendly, family property where each room recalls a period of history thanks to the furniture and the careful choice of decoration.