Built during the Renaissance epoch in the Loir valley, on the confines of the Vendômois, Touraine and Maine areas, the Château de Poncé is a handsome edifice in an unspoilt setting. Its impressive white freestone facade, practically as tall as the trees in the park, is typical of the region. It is a place to be discovered, where the art of the past and its heritage are in permanent interchange with contemporary creation. Built by the de Chambray family during the first half of the 16th century, the historic monument represents a prime example of the Italian influence on the French Renaissance.
Constructed in (or around) 1542, Poncé has seldom changed owners. For more than 400 years, up until 1895, it remained the property of the de Chambray family, which was close to the centers of royal power. They were responsible for the molding of an Italian-style staircase, a magnificent one-of-a-kind work of art that has been perfectly conserved.. Composed of six vaults, it is adorned with 140 coffers with their intricately sculpted vegetal, mythological, biblical and heraldic ornamentation.
In 1830, the park was enriched by the addition of an unusual and astonishing neogothic structure isolating the château from the rest of the village. As a hundred-foot-tall, theatrical setting, the brick and stone wall suffuses the château gardens with a peculiarly romantic atmosphere.
The sponsor of this three-tiered “architectural folly” was Amédée de Nonant, proprietor at the time; as a tribute to his wife, he gave it the name “Terrasse Caroline”. The picturesque structure towers over a more ancient yet excellently maintained dovecote, which contains no less than 1600 putlogs serving as housing for couples of pigeons.
As for the exterior spaces, labeled “remarkable garden”, they are perfect venues for strolls and relaxation; flowers border the alleys, and ample lawns are framed by painstakingly manicured plant species. From a terrace shaded by lime trees, visitors will appreciate the soothing settings offered by the harmonious arrangements of the different plants. More globally, the gardens exhibit pronounced diversity, and their vividly contrasted universes date from the distant as well as the recent past. Inside the park, a hornbeam maze has been enchanting walkers since the 16th century. That much said, even if the château de Poncé came into being in the midst of the Renaissance, today’s gardens owe much to the Latron-Flandrin family, which saved the estate during the 20th century. Today, the painter Guy de Malherbe and his wife are leaving their mark with superb exhibitions of contemporary art in the 18th-cenutry building.
Photo gallery of Château de Poncé
Visits
- Free individual visits
- Guided individual tours
- Guided individual tours on request
- Average duration of the individual visit : 1H00
- Groups welcome from 20 people up to 200 people
- Free group tours
- Guided group tours
- Guided group tours on request
- Group educational visits
- Average duration of the group visit : 1H00
- Pets are accepted
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Available languages
- Parlées : French, English
- Panneaux : French, German, English
Activities
- Temporary exhibitions
Opening time
Prices
Full adult price Gratuit jusqu'à 12 ans
Discounted rate -18 ans, étudiants, chômeurs, Maison des artistes, handicapés
Further information
Labels
Payment method
- Credit card
- Cheques and postal orders
Access
- Road (national / local)
- Motorway at 44 km
- Airport / aerodrome at 51 km
- SNCF train station at 36 km
- Bus station at 23 km