The Château de Chaumont-sur-Loire is located in the heart of the Loire Valley, cultural landscapes listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites. As a property of the Centre-Val de Loire region since 2008, the estate brings together a château, parks, the International Garden Festival and a Center for Arts and Nature.
Perched at 40 meters above the Loire, the Château de Chaumont-sur-Loire is one of the most remarkable castles of the Loire valley. As a 16th-century property belonging first to Queen Catherine de Medici and then to her archrival, Diane of Poitiers, throughout its history it has hosted celebrated figures: Nostradamus, the sculptor Nini, Benjamin Franklin and Germaine de Staël. During a hectic period in the late 19th century, it became festive and regained prominence as Princess Marie Charlotte de Broglie, the last private proprietor of the estate, reendowed it with elegance and modernity.
As an emblematic event at the estate, the International Garden Festival represents a not-to-be-missed international rendezvous dedicated to creation, imagination, poetry and nature. Recognized since 1992 by garden professionals and amateurs alike, every year it welcomes landscape gardeners and designers from all over the world. It is issued from an annual competition at the end of which, a jury selects more than twenty projects, drawn up by multidisciplinary teams and supplemented by the “green cards” awarded to the estate’s guests.
Every year, announcement of the theme for the International Garden Festival is awaited with keen interest.
And every year, the Center for Arts and Nature of the Chaumont-sur-Loire estate invites internationally renowned artists, plasticians and photographers to come and create new and original work involving nature. Exhibited at several strategic points amidst the 80 acres of the estate, the works of art having been created stem from a fruitful encounter between the artists and a certain “genius of place”, and they provide access to an initiatory route replete with discoveries, surprises and emotions. The installations and facilities are to be found in the Château, la Galerie du Fenil, la Galerie de la Cour des Jardiniers, la Grange aux Abeilles (bee barn), l’Asinerie, les Grandes Écuries (big stables), la Galerie Longue des Écuries and throughout your promenade in the Parc Historique.
The estate thrives on its triple identity. Whether you be a passionate follower of contemporary art, a curious spirit, an ardent gardener searching for inspiration from plants, a heritage buff or a history maven, you will have reasons to marvel at Chaumont-sur-Loire.