Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Chanteloup, located in the heights of Amboise (Indre-et-Loire), was originally built at the beginning of the eighteenth century for Jean Bouteroue of Aubigny, close to the Princess of the Ursins. This "U"-shaped mansion, accompanied by an orangery and French-style gardens, was decorated by Henri de Favanne. At his death in 1732, the estate passed to his daughter Adelaide Jeanne, wife of the Marquis d'Armentières, before being sold in 1761.

In 1761, the Duke of Choiseul, minister of Louis XV, acquired Chanteloup and made him a luxurious residence, rivaling Versailles. The architect Louis-Denis The Camus enlarged the castle, added monumental outbuildings, and built a landscaped park with forest views. Disgracized in 1770, Choiseul lived there in exile until 1774, receiving a European court. He erected Chanteloup's pagoda (1775-1778), a symbol of gratitude to his visitors, and transformed the gardens into an Anglo-Chinese style.

After Choiseul's death in 1785, the estate was sold to the Duke of Penthièvre and confiscated during the Revolution. In 1798 he was acquired by Jean-Antoine Chaptal, minister of Napoleon, who tried to develop a sugar farm there. In 1823 his son sold the castle to demolishers of the Black Band, who shaved it in eight weeks. Only the pagoda, classified as a historical monument, and some pavilions remain.

The pagoda, 44 meters high and decorated with seven floors in retreat, symbolizes friendship and freemasonry through its seven converging alleys and golden globe. Restored at the beginning of the 20th century by the André family, it dominates a half-moon water mirror and a wooded park. Today, the Concierge Pavilion houses a museum tracing the history of the estate through plans, paintings and a 3D reconstruction.

The scattered furniture of the castle, such as Jacob-marked chairs or Foliotbergers, is found in private collections (Waddesdon Manor) or museums (Victoria and Albert, Tours). Architectural elements, such as vases or sphinges, now adorn other castles of Touraine. The site, classified in 1996, bears witness to the golden age of aristocratic residences in the Loire Valley.

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