• The castle
• History
• Steps of visit
• Gallery of portraits
• Fotos

The castle of Beauregard in the Loire valley of France

Inhabited without interruption since the late 15th century, the castle of Beauregard is hidden behind the foliage of the forest of Russy. Discreet and elegant, it surprises the visitor with the wealth of its intact decorations.

History

On the land of Beauregard in the early 16th century, stood a small house, which was included the royal domain of Louis XII, that was used by François the 1st as a hunting lodge.

In 1545, Jean du Thier, the Secretary of State Henry II, acquired Beauregard. He was the real design engineer of the castle today. One can still see the first floor of his office work, the remarkable cabinet Grelots.

In 1617, Paul Ardie, loyal minister of kings, retired to Beauregard. He bought the domain to spend his remaining years after 55 years of service to the crown. He enhanced the castle and especially began the work that included 3 generations of his family: the decoration of the Gallery of Portraits which miraculously stayed intact. The castle remained the property of the family Ardie until 1816. It thereafter had several owners who took care of and modernized the property.

Beauregard is now owned by the family of Cheyron du Pavillon. She continues, since 1925, the difficult exercise of restoration and opening to the public in a place where the family still resides.

Steps of a visit

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In the first room, the visitor is greeted by the chime of a rare Dutch clock dated 1711. The lobby also has a surprising whale jaw, a trophy of a Canadian hunting party in the 18th century.

After having climbed the stone stairs, one can access the gallery of portraits. This room is of historical interest. With 327 portraits three centuries of French and European history politics take place here. The decor required 60 years of work that included 3 generations of the family Ardier. The South Gallery has the most beautiful part of the furniture collection of the owners.

The Cabinet of Grelots was the studio of Jean Thier. The wood of this piece, acquired in 1554, is the work of Scibec Carpi, the cabinetmaker of King Henry II. The delicate ceiling is decorated with the coat of arms of Jean Thier: 3 gold bells on a blue background.

The tour ends on the ground floor through the ancient kitchen which was used until 1968. It has a beautiful copper cookware. The two fireplaces are in working order, as well as the largest rotisserie.

The gallery of portraits

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Paul Ardier fitted the style of the gallery of portraits of historical characters to make it a brilliant lesson in political history.

The purpose of Paul Ardier was so simple that the project did extravagate: telling the history as well as international affairs of the Kingdom of France between 1328 and 1643 by means of 327 portraits. From the reign of Philip VI, the first sovereign Valois of Louis XIII, the last king known by Paul Ardier, 15 reigns followed. The kings appear accompanied by their ministers, marshals, generals of armies but also by all those that were involved in the diplomatic life of their reign. Popes, emperors, kings, foreign princes, sultans ... 327 portraits, 26 nationalities. The history of France built by Paul Ardier is a story of a surprisingly modern Europe.

His son Paul Ardier decorated the floor of the gallery of 150 square meters with Delft earthenware. More than 5500 tiles, as soldiers, and 17 regiment corps form a formidable running army.

Marie, the daughter of Paul Ardier, addressed the family Mosnier to complete the paintings in the gallery. The light blue French-style ceiling was obtained with powdered lapis lazuli, one of the most precious stones of the 17th century.

The decorative unit of the gallery was perfectly preserved to this day. Following the trails of Richelieu and Louis XIV in their time, visitors now come to Beauregard in order to be told the history of France.

To see a selection of portraits and the complete list of characters represented in the gallery click here

Below you find more fotos from the castle and its rooms.

Foto Gallery

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