Château de la Bourdaisière

A charming historic monument located between Tours and Amboise, since 1991 the Château de la Bourdaisière is the property of the “Gardener Prince” Louis-Albert de Broglie. The origin of the edifice dates back to 1360, at which time Marshal Boucicault had a fortress built on the side of a hill to defend the outskirts of the town of Tours. Traces of that epoch remain, in the form of dry moats and a corner tower.
Over the centuries the château de la Bourdaisière has taken on form in accordance with the desires of its successive owners. In Renaissance times, a prestigious family known as Babou de la Bourdaisière resided there for a century. The female ascendant, Marie Gaudin, considered as the most beautiful woman of her epoch, was mistress of King François I. After having passed into the hands of Marquis Nicolas Gouffier de Crevecoeur during the 17th century and those of the powerful Duke of Choiseul during the 18th, in the wake of the French Revolution the château became national property before being auctioned off to a Breton wine merchant, Armand Dubernad. From 1816 to 1916, the Angelier barons strove to place their estate on the map by improving the exterior park, which in 1942 earned official listing as an historic monument.
Today a hotel, the Château de la Bourdaisière draws manifold benefits from its spectacular setting in a 140-acre park, open to visitors, featuring remarkable species of valuable trees. The “Gardener Prince” is responsible for the creation in 1996 of a national tomato conservatory, a totally unique collection bringing together nearly 800 varieties of tomatoes and offering an unprecedented panorama of an unsuspectedly multitudinous fruit.

Flowers share top billing in a thousand-colored park. Inaugurated in spring 2008, Dahliacolor® is a part of the château de la Bourdaisière deserving unhurried discovery. A contemporary garden composed of dahlia beds, more than 5000 tubers and of over 400 different flora varieties, was redesigned in 2012 by the renowned landscape gardener Louis Benech.
On the basis of this marvelous heritage steeped in history, the proprietor wishes to foster young visitors’ awareness of major contemporary ecological and environmental issues. That is why, in 2018, a new artistic learning path came into being, an itinerary for exploration of the riches of the forests and woods, whatever their condition, in view of demonstrating to young and old alike the innumerable uses of surprisingly little known sylvan resources.
During exhibitions organized in the alleys or following a visit to the vegetable patch and the contemporary gardens, a stroll in the park will allow the visitor to discover the marvelous perspective of the Italian alley, the fleur-de-lis boxwood embroidery, the door attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, and the towering silhouettes of the immense sequoia trees. La Bourdaisière is a site inviting the visitor to avail him or herself of multiple pathways to discovery as he or she observes, comprehends and marvels over generous nature amply deserving of protection and preservation.