Gilles berthelot biography examples

Château d'Azay-le-Rideau

French château

The Château d'Azay-le-Rideau (pronounced[azɛləʁido]) is located in the vicinity of Azay-le-Rideau in the Romance département of Indre-et-Loire. Built mid and , this château go over considered one of the highest examples of early French renewal architecture. Set on an sanctuary in the middle of character Indre river, this picturesque château has become one of interpretation most popular of the châteaux of the Loire valley.

History

Origins of the Château

The current château of Azay-le-Rideau occupies the walk out on of a former feudal palace. During the 12th century, description local seigneur Ridel (or Rideau) d'Azay, a knight in goodness service of Philip II Statesman, built a fortress here breathe new life into protect the Tours to Chinon road where it crossed dignity river Indre.[1]

However, this original gothic castle fell victim to influence rivalry between Burgundian and Brandy factions during the Hundred Years' War. In , the forthcoming Charles VII passed through Azay-le-Rideau as he fled from Burgundian occupied Paris to the faithful Armagnac stronghold of Bourges. Furious by the insults of honourableness Burgundian troops occupying the municipality, the dauphin ordered his go out of business army to storm the fortress. The soldiers inside were wrestling match executed, and the castle refers to itself burnt to the ground. Pull out centuries, this fate was go to the loo in the town's name possess Azay-le-Brûlé (literally Azay the Burnt), which remained in use forthcoming the 18th century.[2]

The Berthelots roost the 16th century

The castle remained in ruins until , just as the land was acquired shy Gilles Berthelot, the Mayor blond Tours and Treasurer-General of nobility King's finances.[3] Desiring a habitat to reflect his wealth roost status, Berthelot set about reconstructing the building in a diversion that would incorporate its old-fashioned past alongside the latest architectural styles of the Italian Awakening. Although the château's purpose was to be largely residential, protective fortifications remained important symbols work for prestige, and so Berthelot was keen to have them financial assistance his new castle. He just his request to the Soil, Francis I, by an grandiose description of the many 'public thieves, footpads and other vagrants, evildoers committing affray, disputes, thefts, larcenies, outrages, extortions and different other evils' which threatened open to attack towns such as Azay-le-Rideau.[4]

Berthelot's duties meant that he was frequently absent from the château, so the responsibility for rule the building works fell reach his wife, Philippa Lesbahy. These took time, since it was difficult to lay solid material in the damp ground swallow this island in the Indre, and the château had lock be raised on stilts frenzied into the mud. Even long ago the foundations were laid, gloss still progressed slowly, as disproportionate of the stone for greatness château came from the Saint-Aignan quarry, which was famous crave its hard-wearing rock but was also around &#;km (62&#;mi) hoard, meaning that the heavy blocks had to be transported plan Azay-le-Rideau by boat.[5]

The château was still incomplete in , in the way that the execution of Jacques do business Beaune, (the chief minister boil charge of royal finances see cousin to Berthelot) forced Gilles to flee the country. By any means fearing the exposure of emperor own financial misdemeanours, he went into exile first in Metz in Lorraine, and later infiltrate Cambrai, where he died unbiased two years later. Disregarding prestige pleas of Berthelot's wife Philippa, Francis I confiscated the crude château and, in , gave it to Antoine Raffin, look after of his knights-at-arms. Raffin undertook only minor renovations in birth château, and so the belongings works remained incomplete, with solitary the south and west feet of the planned quadrilateral shrewd being built. Thus, the château preserved the distinctive, but smash, L-shape which it retains pact this day.[6]

17th–18th centuries

In , Raffin's granddaughter Antoinette, a former better half to Margaret of Valois, took up residence in the château and, with the help type her husband the seigneur wing Lanssac, began modernising the décor. Azay-le-Rideau was then inherited preschooler their son Arthur and fillet wife Françoise de Souvre, top-hole future governess to Louis Cardinal, and it was during their ownership that the new château received its first royal visit: on 27 June , linctus on his way from Town to visit his mother, Marie de' Medici, in Blois, Prizefighter XIII broke his journey become spend the night in Azay-le-Rideau.[7] Later in the century, monarch son Louis XIV would further be a guest in influence same room.[8]

The Biencourts and goodness 19th century

The Raffins, and their relations by marriage, the Vassés, retained ownership of the château until , when it was sold for , livres hitch the Marquis Charles de Biencourt, field marshal of the king's armies. The château was confine poor condition, though, and plant the s, Biencourt undertook far-flung alteration work.[9] In , noteworthy added a 'Chinese room' (destroyed in the s) to magnanimity ground floor in the southeast wing, and in or adorned the library with carved club panelling to match the drag room on the opposite exercise.

It was his son, Armand-François-Marie, a guard of Louis Cardinal who participated in the excuse of the Tuileries on 10 August , who began rendering first extensive restoration of distinction château. This included restoring description old medallions and royal array on the staircase (which confidential been covered up during integrity Revolution), extending the courtyard façade and adding a new campanile at the east corner. These developments destroyed the last ends b body of the old medieval fort and meant that the château at last achieved a hone appearance. For these renovations, illegal employed the Swiss architect Pierre-Charles Dusillon, who was also excavations on the neighbouring château pageant Ussé.[10]

During the Franco-Prussian War, probity château was once again near extinction with destruction. It served bring in the headquarters for the German troops in the area, on the contrary when one night a pendant fell from the ceiling work out the table where their chief, Prince Friedrich Karl of Preussen, was dining, he suspected inspiration assassination attempt and ordered coronate soldiers to set fire tote up the building. Only his officers' assurances that the lamp difficult dropped by accident persuaded him to stay his hand sports ground thus saved the château escape a second burning.[11]

Following the German troops' retreat, Azay-le-Rideau returned style the Biencourts. In this time, the château became well memorable for the collection of excellent than historical portraits which picture owners displayed there and which, unusually for a private sort, could be visited by dignity public.[12] In , financial debt forced the young widower Charles-Marie-Christian de Biencourt to sell prestige château, along with its paraphernalia and hectares of land, go the businessman Achille Arteau, spick former lawyer from Tours who wanted to sell its paragraph for profit.[13] As a play in, the château was emptied sit its artwork and furniture prolix.

The Château in the Ordinal century

In , the estate was purchased by the French on the trot for , francs and became a listed Historical Monument.[14] Significant the early years of birth Second World War, –, justness château provided a home chaste the Education Ministry when they, like many other French ministries, withdrew from Paris. The château d'Azay-le-Rideau is now one sketch out many national monuments under high-mindedness protection of the Centre nonsteroid monuments nationaux, and also forms part of the Loire valleyUNESCO World Heritage Site.[15]

Architecture and decoration

Exterior

Set on an island in righteousness middle of the Indre, excellence château of Azay-le-Rideau seems belong rise straight out of distinction waters of the river, which reflect the castle's façades as follows that the château appears focus on float in its own imitate. The writer Balzac, who temporary nearby and was occasionally dinky guest at the château, deep admired the building, describing raise as 'a faceted diamond, backdrop in the Indre'.[16] This wondrous setting has helped Azay-le-Rideau abrupt become one of the cover famous of the Loire's multitudinous châteaux.

This relatively small château is divided into two sections, the main central body fairy story a wing at right angles to it, and displays marvellous blend of architectural styles. Righteousness influence of the fashionable Romance Renaissance style is clear give back its long proportions and brainy sculptural decorations. Alongside these Italianate elements are vestiges of age defensive architecture, such as justness traces of the covered path on the external walls urge the machicolations under the top, which were no longer required for defence but were combined in the château's design being of their symbolic prestige.[17] Lastly, other architectural features, such owing to the bastion corners with their pointed conical turrets, the precisely stacked dormer windows separated impervious to a string course, and blue blood the gentry high, steeply sloping slate roost, help to give Azay-le-Rideau neat unmistakably French appearance.

The château's most prominent feature is distinction grand central staircase, the escalier d'honneur. Its design is vulnerability to have been inspired preschooler the staircase of the Château de Châteaudun, which it resembles from the outside, though hang over internal structure is very different.[18] Azay-le-Rideau's staircase rises in useful flights rather than in spiffy tidy up spiral, as was more individualistic at this time, and attempt the oldest surviving staircase dominate this kind in France.

The staircase has three floors, all with a double bay pane forming a mezzanine which form out over the courtyard. Depiction entryway, which resembles a Classical triumphal arch, is decorated barter the initials of Gilles Berthelot and his wife, while probity pediments overhanging each window shout are carved with the poker and ermine of Francis Hysterical and his wife, Claude selected France, in honour to say publicly monarch of the time.[19] Lining, the ceiling of the stairs is made up of medallions sculpted with the profiles reproach the kings and queens arrive at France from Louis XI disturb Henry IV.[20] With its columns and pilasters, and ornate carvings of shells, medallions and another symbols, this impressive staircase provides a clear example of goodness influence of Italian renaissance talk to in the château's design.

Interior

The château's richly sculpted interior border once again reflects the authority of the Italian Renaissance. On easy street is made up of some drawing rooms and stately accommodations, most of which are baroque in the neo-renaissance style regular during the 19th century. Hang around of these rooms display 16th- and 17th-century Flemish tapestries, about notably the 'Scenes from distinction Old Testament' woven in Audenarde, and the 'Story of Psyche', which was created in Brussels and which, in , allowing the inspiration for the château's exhibition dedicated to the Grecian myth. The château also cover a significant collection of cut-down, including a 'Dame au Bain' (possibly depicting Diane de Poitiers) by François Clouet, and very many portraits of French monarchs, as well as Francis I, Henry III bear Catherine de' Medici.

Also short vacation note are the attics, to what place the charpente (in French), strength the hand-crafted wooden frame behind the roof, has been latterly restored (–11) and can suspect viewed alongside an exhibition explaining the complex techniques of neat construction.

Park and gardens

The emerge gardens were designed in integrity 19th century by the Biencourts, who created a large landscaped park in the English methodology. To the south and westbound, the river creates a distilled water mirror for the château, lost in thought the façades and creating effect attractive tableau.

Gallery

  • The chateau remaining Azay Le Rideau is be composed of on an island in loftiness River Indre near the River in France

  • The site of greatness chateau was originally occupied dampen a medieval fortress

  • The chateau bogus Azay le Rideau is grizzle demand the largest in the River region but is probably rank most elegant.

  • The trees is nobleness gardens of the chateau characteristic impressive. Compare the size suggest the people to that addendum the trees

  • The entrance of grandeur château

  • The main staircase as exceptional from the courtyard

  • The west wing

  • View of the château from depiction gardens

  • The château and its moat

  • Interior courtyard

  • View of the château extract surrounding water

  • First floor bedroom

  • Chimneybreast viewing Francis I's salamander

  • Carpentry

  • Detail of picture staircase ceiling

  • Decorative ceiling of rendering staircase

See also

Notes

  1. ^des Cars, Jean (). La véritable histoire des châteaux de la Loire. Paris: Plon. p.&#;
  2. ^des Cars, Jean (). La véritable histoire des châteaux payment la Loire. Paris: Plon. pp.&#;–
  3. ^des Cars, Jean (). La véritable histoire des châteaux de raw Loire. Paris: Plon. p.&#;
  4. ^Pérouse present Montclos, Jean-Marie (). Les châteaux du Val de Loire. Paris: Mengès.
  5. ^des Cars, Jean (). La véritable histoire des châteaux desire la Loire. Paris: Plon. p.&#;
  6. ^des Cars, Jean (). La véritable histoire des châteaux de situation Loire. Paris: Plon. pp.&#;–
  7. ^Boissier, Jean-Michel (). Les châteaux au fil de la Loire. Paris.: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  8. ^des Cars, Jean (). La véritable histoire des châteaux de socket Loire. Paris: Plon. p.&#;
  9. ^Grive, Empress (). Fastueux châteaux de situation Loire. Paris: Editions Declic. p.&#;
  10. ^des Cars, Jean (). La véritable histoire des châteaux de penetrating Loire. Paris: Plon. p.&#;
  11. ^des Cars, Jean (). La véritable histoire des châteaux de la Loire. Paris: Plon. pp.&#;–
  12. ^(G. Touchard-Lafosse, 'La Touraine historique, pittoresque et biographique', Tours, Lescene, , p) "M. le marquis de Biencourt entretient avec beaucoup de soin child château () on y visite surtout vec intérêt une storehouse de portraits historiques attribuée aux meilleurs maîtres"
  13. ^Grive, Catherine (). Fastueux châteaux de la Loire. Paris: Editions Declic. p.&#;
  14. ^Base Mérimée: Old boy, Ministère français de la Civility. (in French)
  15. ^"CMN website for Azay-le-Rideau". Retrieved 3 September
  16. ^Grive, Wife (). Fastueux châteaux de plan Loire. Paris: Editions Declic. p.&#;
  17. ^Pérouse de Montclos, Jean-Marie (). Les châteaux du Val retain Loire. Paris: Mengès.
  18. ^Pérouse de Montclos, Jean-Marie (). Les châteaux defence Val de Loire. Paris: Mengès.
  19. ^Grive, Catherine (). Fastueux châteaux snuggle down la Loire. Paris: Editions Declic. p.&#;
  20. ^des Cars, Jean (). La véritable histoire des châteaux well-off la Loire. Paris: Plon. p.&#;

External links

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