Château d'Ancy-le-Franc, when I heard about it I knew I had to see it because how can such a beautiful chateau be so unknown?
Hidden in the Burgundy region, you find this finest example of Renaissance architecture in France.
The moment you walk from the car park through the gate you step into another time and world.
I am also a big Jane Austen fan, sorry don't blame me, I´m just a sucker for romance.
So this totally fitted the bill.
The fact that there really wasn't another soul in sight made me completely absorbed in the beautiful picture that revealed itself before me.
The first thing that catches your eye in the distance is the 17th century orangery.
It was build to house the chateau's citrus trees during the winter months.
Here is a fun fact about the Orangery: in the past, it was used to store and serve ice cream for the chateau's guests.
Never knew they could make and preserve that back then.
As beautiful as the orangery is, yet your eye is soon drawn to the grandeur chateau on the left.
A few facts about this amazing place:
The chateau was built in the 16th century by Antoine III de Clermont, a prosperous nobleman.
He commissioned the Italian architect Sebastiano Serlio to design the building, and Serlio did not disappoint.
It is a masterpiece of symmetry and proportion with it's four identical facades perfectly aligned.
Before stepping inside of the chateau, throw a peak over your shoulder.
Hidden between the bushes is a pyramide statue.
The owner Clermont, was a great admirer of Egyptian culture and had this built as a monument to the Egyptian god Osiris.
A couple of mysterious stories circulate around this pyramid.
Nobody actually knows why Clermont had this pyramid built, some say it is just for decoration but others claim it is Clermont's tomb.
And to make it a bit spookier, some even claim to have seen his ghost walking around the grounds of the chateau at night.
So let's head inside.
Once inside, the symmetry is again immediately striking.
The chateau's courtyard is divided into even planes and the pebbles covering the floor are raked with extreme precision.
The perfect lines they form, emphasise the symmetry further.
Impressive that this is how work is done down to the smallest details.
And then the inside of the chateau's.
That's just as imposing as the outside.
Beautiful murals decorate the walls and almost every room is furnished with luxurious tapestries and furniture.
To go through all the rooms with you is a bit much but I will share the best pictures with you.
In the early start of the tour, you enter the chapel.
Which is dedicated to the Saint Cecilia. (The patron saint of music.)
Here, too, the walls are beautifully decorated.
All the work of painter André Meynassier.
The Louvois Room is one of the most important rooms in Château d'Ancy-le-Franc.
Primarily used to entertain guests and to discuss important business.
In 1674 the French War Minister, Marquis Louvois, accompanied Louis XIV on a visit to the chateau.
Later this room was named in his honor.
The beautiful panelled ceiling is decorated with gold leaf.
And the walls decoraded with the portraits of Louis XIV and other members of the French royal family.
On top of that the room also contains a number of other valuable pieces of furniture and artwork.
The Room of Arts is decorated with a number of beautiful murals, which were painted by the Italian artist Francesco Primaticcio, also known as Le Primatice.
The murals display the seven liberal arts: Grammar, Rhetoric, Logic, Geometry, Arithmetic, Music, and Astronomy.
The eighth mural depicts Apollo and the Muses.
Besides the beautiful murals, you can see a maquette of the chateau here but what you should especially not forget is to look out of the window.
There you have a wonderful view of the English gardens.
These were redone in 2014 after an extensive study.
The entire park attached to the chateau covers 50 hectares.
So that renovation was not done in a single year.
But that energy and work was well worth it.
In 2018, they were awarded a silver recompensation in a competition organised by VAL'HOR.
The last room I will take you to is the dolphin room.
Named after the picture on the wall.
Two dolphins surrounding a lily.
The dolphins represent the Dauphiné the line where family Clermonts are from.
The portrait next to the window depicts Marquis de Louvois.
I wandered a few hours in the chateau, exploring every bit and I was completely blown away by its beauty.
It's like stepping into a timemachine an bringing you back to the Renaissance era.
Do you love history and do you love architecture?
Then you can't deny yourself a visit.
The funny thing is, Château d'Ancy-le-Franc is like the forgotten stepchild of the French Renaissance.
It's not famous like Palace of Fontainebleau or Château de Chambord, and visitor numbers are also much lower.
I think that's a shame, because Château d'Ancy-le-Franc is every bit as impressive as those other palaces.
It's just as beautiful, well-kept and packed with history..
So if you're searching for a truly unique and unforgettable Renaissance experience, I highly recommend visiting Château d'Ancy-le-Franc.
And don't be alarmed because you might be the only visitor in the whole chateau.
Here are some tips for visiting Château d'Ancy-le-Franc:
- The chateau is open from Februari to December.
- Admission: €13 adults, €11 students and seniors, €8 children.
- Guided tours in: French, English, German, Dutch, Italian and Chinese.
- Website Château d'Ancy-le-Franc
- Visual tour "Château d'Ancy-le-Franc" by European Waterways
I hope you have a chance to visit Château d'Ancy-le-Franc someday.
Wishing you all the best in life and much health.
Paula (
📷 Photos: All shot and owned by me
📷 Edited: Adobe Lightroom & Canva
