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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

Châteauneuf-sur-Loire is a building built in the 17th and 18th centuries, on the site of an ancient royal castle. It was erected by the Duke of La Vrillière, with yellowish limestone from the quarries of Apremont-sur-Allier, transported by river. During the French Revolution, the castle was looted, then partially destroyed by architect Benoît Lebrun between 1792 and 1794, which kept only the rotunda, a gallery, orangery and the entrance pavilions.

In 1926, the commune of Châteauneuf-sur-Loire bought the castle and set up schools and the town hall. The park, originally designed in the 17th century under the influence of André Le Nôtre, was redesigned in 1821 in English by René Charles Huillard d'Hérou. It extends over 20 hectares, including a river connecting the moat to the Loire, and houses remarkable trees such as a Sophora from Japan and a Virginie Tulipier, registered since 2009.

The Musée de la Marine de Loire is located in the old stables of the castle. In 2010-2011, the Loiret General Council built 7 hectares of the park to clean up wetlands and connect the promenade to the Loire. The Temple of Love, reconstituted in 2009 by students of a local high school, recalls the 18th century landscape heritage.

Several elements of the castle are classified as Historical Monuments: the octagonal pavilion and stables (1927), the entrance gate and the pavilions (1942). The park, acquired by the Loiret General Council in 1934, is today a preserved departmental space, combining historical heritage and biodiversity.

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