Château de Cheverny

Cheverny

Property of the Hurault family almost without interruption since the 14th century — a unique case among the great châteaux of the Loire — Cheverny appears as early as 1315 under Henri Le Mareschau, then passed to the Huraults at the end of the same century. In 1510, Raoul Hurault obtained royal permission to fortify his residence. The present château, in pale Bourré stone, was built from 1624 to 1630 by the architect Jacques Bougier for Henri Hurault, Count of Cheverny; its sumptuous interiors were completed around 1650 and remodelled in 1768. Sold in 1755, it was bought back by the family in 1825. In 1922, the owner opened Cheverny to the public, among the very first private châteaux of the Loire to do so; Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother was received here in 1963. The estate keeps alive a still-living tradition of hunting with hounds, with a pack of some one hundred and twenty Anglo-French hounds fed twice a week before the public. In the 20th century, the cartoonist Hergé drew on Cheverny's classical facade and symmetrical wings to create Marlinspike Hall (Moulinsart), the château of the Adventures of Tintin, lastingly popularising the building far beyond the Loire Valley.

Getting there : Open all year, admission charge; the "soupe des chiens" (feeding of the pack) can be watched in the afternoon; Cour-Cheverny railway station 2 km away; free parking.

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound