Château du Lude
The Château du Lude is one of the many great châteaux of the Loire Valley (Vallée de la Loire) in France. The chateau is situated in the commune of Le Lude in the Sarthe department in the region of Pays-de-la-Loire and stands at the crossroads of Anjou, Maine and Touraine.
History
The original fortress was built between the 10th and 11th centuries on the banks of the river Loir in order to defend Anjou from the incursions of the Normans and then the English during the Hundred Years War.
Louis XI's chamberlain, Jehan de Daillon, took possession of the Lude estates at the end of the 15th century. He employed Italian artists to convert the fortress into a residence.
In 1751, Le Lude became the property of Joseph Duvelaër, head of the Council of The East India Company. His niece, the Marquise de la Vieuville, built the classical wing in the style of Louis XVI and defended the château during the French Revolution. Her descendants, the Talhouët-Roy, carried out extensive works of restoration throughout the 19th century. Le Lude has been passed down to the current occupants Count and Countess Louis-Jean de Nicolaÿ, who have carried on its tradition of restoration and decoration.
See also
References
- Château du Lude(English & French)
- Becker, Henrie (1973). "L'Histoire Du Lude".