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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château des Réaux, located in Chouzé-sur-Loire in Indre-et-Loire, finds its origins in the 15th century. Originally he belonged to the Péau family, then to Jeanne de Montjean, Countess of Sancerre, and his son Antoine de Bueil. In 1455 he moved to Gilles de Brye, before being bought in ruin by Jean (I) Briçonnet († 1493), first mayor of Tours in 1462. The latter undertook work, but it was his grandson, Jean (II) Briçonnet († 1559), who rebuilt the present castle at the site of the former castle, then called Plessis-Rideau.

In the 17th century, the estate was acquired by the writer Gideon Tallemant des Réaux, who in 1653 obtained royal authorization to give him his present name. After his death, the castle was sold in 1714 to Louis Sboureau, secretary-advisor of the king, whose family kept him until the 18th century. The monument then changed hands several times, including in the 19th century Barrois, then in 2005 the Ukrainian businessman Yevhen Yukhnytsya.

Ranked a historic monument in 1930, the Castle of Reals embodies the architectural and cultural heritage of the Touraine, marked by noble families and literary figures. Its history reflects the social and political transformations of the region, from the Middle Ages to the contemporary era.

Future

Within the Château des Réaux is inaugurated a gallery (permanent exhibition) of paintings dedicated to the subject of human legs, those of women and men, entitled "Jambes of women and men in the Art of the beginning of the third millennium".

The content of the gallery, 760 paintings by 530 painters from over 40 countries around the world, is the result of an international competition launched in 2007.

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