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Name: Château de Valençay.
Location: Valençay, Indre, in central France.
Map: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Indre-Position.svg
Built: in 1540-1770s.
Château de Valençay was a residence of the d'Estampes and Talleyrand-Périgord families in the commune of Valençay in central France. The Château de Valençay presents two styles of architecture, Renaissance and Classical. The manor is surrounded by magnificent French-style gardens and an English landscape park. The manor was praised as one of the most beautiful on earth by Amantine Aurore Lucile Dupin (1804-1876), who also noted that no king had owned a more picturesque park. Amantine Aurore Lucile Dupin, best known by her pseudonym George Sand, was a French novelist and memoirist.
.
History
The Château de Valençay, sited at the edge of a plateau that overlooks the little Nahon river, was built on a royal scale by the d'Estampes family over a period of some 230 years. Construction started in 1540 at the behest of Jacques d'Estampes in place of a demolished 12th century castle and was not completed until the 1770s, when the south tower was added. The 18th century saw a rapid succession of owners. In 1803, Napoleon ordered his foreign minister Charles Maurice de Talleyrand to acquire the property as a place particularly appropriate for reception of foreign dignitaries, notably Ferdinand VII of Spain, who would spend six years in Napoleonic captivity at the Château de Valençay in 1808-1814. Ferdinand VII was King of Spain in 1808-1808 and in 1813-1833. Emperor Napoleon agreed to acknowledge Ferdinand VII as king of Spain in 1813 and signed the Treaty of Valençay, so that the king could return to Spain. This, however, did not happen until Napoleon was nearly defeated by the allied powers several months later in 1814.
The period of Talleyrand's occupancy was the golden age in the history of Valençay, with twenty-three communes reportedly administrated by the ruling prince. Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, prince de Bénévent, then prince de Talleyrand, was a French diplomat. He is known since the turn of the 19th century simply by the name Talleyrand. He worked successfully from the regime of Louis XVI, through the French Revolution and then under Napoleon I, Louis XVIII, Charles X and Louis-Philippe. Some regard him as one of the most versatile, skilled and influential diplomats in European history.
When Napoleon was succeeded by Louis XVIII in April 1814, Talleyrand was one of the key agents of the restoration of the House of Bourbon, while opposing the new legislation of Louis rule. Talleyrand was the chief French negotiator at the Congress of Vienna and, in that same year, he signed the Treaty of Paris. It was due in part to his skills that the terms of the treaty were remarkably lenient towards France. As the Congress opened, the right to make decisions was restricted to four countries: Austria, the United Kingdom, Prussia, and Russia. France and other European countries were invited to attend, but were not allowed to influence the process. Talleyrand promptly became the champion of the small countries and demanded admission into the ranks of the decision-making process. The four powers admitted France and Spain to the decision making backrooms of the conference after a good deal of diplomatic maneuvering by Talleyrand, who had the support of the Spanish representative, Pedro Gómez Labrador, Marquis of Labrador. Spain was excluded after a while, but France (Talleyrand) was allowed to participate until the end. Russia and Prussia sought to enlarge their territory at the Congress. Russia demanded annexation of Poland (already occupied by Russian troops), and this demand was finally satisfied, despite protests by France, Austria and the United Kingdom. Austria was afraid of future conflicts with Russia or Prussia and the United Kingdom was opposed to their expansion as well – and Talleyrand managed to take advantage of these contradictions within the former anti-French coalition. On 3 January 1815, a secret treaty was signed by France's Talleyrand, Austria's Metternich and Britain's Castlereagh. By this tract, officially a secret treaty of defensive alliance, the three powers agreed to use force if necessary to repulse aggression (of Russia and Prussia) and to protect the state of security and independence. This agreement effectively spelled the end of the anti-France coalition.
Undoubtedly the most celebrated of Talleyrand's servants employed at Château de Valençay was his chef, Marie-Antoine Carême. Talleyrand actively encouraged Carême in the development of a new refined food style using herbs and fresh vegetable, simplified sauces with few ingredients. Carême was an early practitioner and exponent of the elaborate style of cooking known as grande cuisine, the high art of French cooking: a grandiose style of cookery favoured by both international royalty and by the newly rich of Paris. Carême is often considered as one of the first internationally renowned celebrity chefs.
After Talleyrand's death in 1838, the great statesman was buried in a small mortuary chapel in the park. His descendants retained the ownership of the estate until 1952, when the male line ended. The Princes of Talleyrand-Périgord ranked among the mediatized German nobility, by virtue of their nominal control of the duchy of Sagan in Prussian Silesia, now in Poland. On this technicality, the Château de Valençay was spared the German occupation during the Second World War. Having established his personal neutrality, the Duke of Sagan saw treasures from the Louvre, like the Winged Victory of Samothrace and the Venus de Milo, safely sheltered at Valençay. The last prince bequeathed the property to his stepson who sold the Château de Valençay to an association of historic chateaux in 1979, which included the department of Indre and the municipality Valençay.
Today
Talleyrand's château boasts one of the most advanced interiors of the Empire style anywhere. There are a hundred rooms, of which a quarter comprise Talleyrand's apartments. A room of King Ferdinand is also shown to tourists. The western wing contains the Talleyrand Museum, formerly housed in outbuildings. The formal French gardens, dating from the early 20th century, cover about forty hectares, not counting the area of Talleyrand's vineyards. Llamas, peacocks and other exotic animals kept in the park provide amusement for tourists.
Other images:
1. pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ficheiro:Valencay01.jpg
2. pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ficheiro:Valencay02.jpg
3. By night, a nice image: www.valencay.fr/stockage/espace_telechargement/Chateau%20...
4. By night, another nice image: www.valencay.fr/stockage/espace_telechargement/Chateau%20...
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Sources:
www.chateau-valencay.fr/index.php/en
www.chateau-valencay.fr/index.php/en/the-chateau/history
loire-valley.us/19-Chateaux/Chateau-Of-Valencay.html
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C3%A2teau_de_Valen%C3%A7ay
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinand_VII_of_Spain
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Maurice_de_Talleyrand
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie-Antoine_Car%C3%AAme
The owner of the image above is Jean-Christophe BENOIST.
Link: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Valencay-chateau-1.jpg
The image above is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.
Link: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en
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Name: Château de Valençay.
Location: Valençay, Indre, in central France.
Map: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Indre-Position.svg
Built: in 1540-1770s.
Château de Valençay was a residence of the d'Estampes and Talleyrand-Périgord families in the commune of Valençay in central France. The Château de Valençay presents two styles of architecture, Renaissance and Classical. The manor is surrounded by magnificent French-style gardens and an English landscape park. The manor was praised as one of the most beautiful on earth by Amantine Aurore Lucile Dupin (1804-1876), who also noted that no king had owned a more picturesque park. Amantine Aurore Lucile Dupin, best known by her pseudonym George Sand, was a French novelist and memoirist.
.
History
The Château de Valençay, sited at the edge of a plateau that overlooks the little Nahon river, was built on a royal scale by the d'Estampes family over a period of some 230 years. Construction started in 1540 at the behest of Jacques d'Estampes in place of a demolished 12th century castle and was not completed until the 1770s, when the south tower was added. The 18th century saw a rapid succession of owners. In 1803, Napoleon ordered his foreign minister Charles Maurice de Talleyrand to acquire the property as a place particularly appropriate for reception of foreign dignitaries, notably Ferdinand VII of Spain, who would spend six years in Napoleonic captivity at the Château de Valençay in 1808-1814. Ferdinand VII was King of Spain in 1808-1808 and in 1813-1833. Emperor Napoleon agreed to acknowledge Ferdinand VII as king of Spain in 1813 and signed the Treaty of Valençay, so that the king could return to Spain. This, however, did not happen until Napoleon was nearly defeated by the allied powers several months later in 1814.
The period of Talleyrand's occupancy was the golden age in the history of Valençay, with twenty-three communes reportedly administrated by the ruling prince. Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, prince de Bénévent, then prince de Talleyrand, was a French diplomat. He is known since the turn of the 19th century simply by the name Talleyrand. He worked successfully from the regime of Louis XVI, through the French Revolution and then under Napoleon I, Louis XVIII, Charles X and Louis-Philippe. Some regard him as one of the most versatile, skilled and influential diplomats in European history.
When Napoleon was succeeded by Louis XVIII in April 1814, Talleyrand was one of the key agents of the restoration of the House of Bourbon, while opposing the new legislation of Louis rule. Talleyrand was the chief French negotiator at the Congress of Vienna and, in that same year, he signed the Treaty of Paris. It was due in part to his skills that the terms of the treaty were remarkably lenient towards France. As the Congress opened, the right to make decisions was restricted to four countries: Austria, the United Kingdom, Prussia, and Russia. France and other European countries were invited to attend, but were not allowed to influence the process. Talleyrand promptly became the champion of the small countries and demanded admission into the ranks of the decision-making process. The four powers admitted France and Spain to the decision making backrooms of the conference after a good deal of diplomatic maneuvering by Talleyrand, who had the support of the Spanish representative, Pedro Gómez Labrador, Marquis of Labrador. Spain was excluded after a while, but France (Talleyrand) was allowed to participate until the end. Russia and Prussia sought to enlarge their territory at the Congress. Russia demanded annexation of Poland (already occupied by Russian troops), and this demand was finally satisfied, despite protests by France, Austria and the United Kingdom. Austria was afraid of future conflicts with Russia or Prussia and the United Kingdom was opposed to their expansion as well – and Talleyrand managed to take advantage of these contradictions within the former anti-French coalition. On 3 January 1815, a secret treaty was signed by France's Talleyrand, Austria's Metternich and Britain's Castlereagh. By this tract, officially a secret treaty of defensive alliance, the three powers agreed to use force if necessary to repulse aggression (of Russia and Prussia) and to protect the state of security and independence. This agreement effectively spelled the end of the anti-France coalition.
Undoubtedly the most celebrated of Talleyrand's servants employed at Château de Valençay was his chef, Marie-Antoine Carême. Talleyrand actively encouraged Carême in the development of a new refined food style using herbs and fresh vegetable, simplified sauces with few ingredients. Carême was an early practitioner and exponent of the elaborate style of cooking known as grande cuisine, the high art of French cooking: a grandiose style of cookery favoured by both international royalty and by the newly rich of Paris. Carême is often considered as one of the first internationally renowned celebrity chefs.
After Talleyrand's death in 1838, the great statesman was buried in a small mortuary chapel in the park. His descendants retained the ownership of the estate until 1952, when the male line ended. The Princes of Talleyrand-Périgord ranked among the mediatized German nobility, by virtue of their nominal control of the duchy of Sagan in Prussian Silesia, now in Poland. On this technicality, the Château de Valençay was spared the German occupation during the Second World War. Having established his personal neutrality, the Duke of Sagan saw treasures from the Louvre, like the Winged Victory of Samothrace and the Venus de Milo, safely sheltered at Valençay. The last prince bequeathed the property to his stepson who sold the Château de Valençay to an association of historic chateaux in 1979, which included the department of Indre and the municipality Valençay.
Today
Talleyrand's château boasts one of the most advanced interiors of the Empire style anywhere. There are a hundred rooms, of which a quarter comprise Talleyrand's apartments. A room of King Ferdinand is also shown to tourists. The western wing contains the Talleyrand Museum, formerly housed in outbuildings. The formal French gardens, dating from the early 20th century, cover about forty hectares, not counting the area of Talleyrand's vineyards. Llamas, peacocks and other exotic animals kept in the park provide amusement for tourists.
Other images:
1. pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ficheiro:Valencay01.jpg
2. pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ficheiro:Valencay02.jpg
3. By night, a nice image: www.valencay.fr/stockage/espace_telechargement/Chateau%20...
4. By night, another nice image: www.valencay.fr/stockage/espace_telechargement/Chateau%20...
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Sources:
www.chateau-valencay.fr/index.php/en
www.chateau-valencay.fr/index.php/en/the-chateau/history
loire-valley.us/19-Chateaux/Chateau-Of-Valencay.html
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C3%A2teau_de_Valen%C3%A7ay
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinand_VII_of_Spain
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Maurice_de_Talleyrand
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie-Antoine_Car%C3%AAme
The owner of the image above is Jean-Christophe BENOIST.
Link: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Valencay-chateau-1.jpg
The image above is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.
Link: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en
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