Château and gardens of Villandry.

Château de Villandry is a large country mansion in Villandry, France, in the department of Indre-et-Loire. It is particularly well-known for its lovely gardens.Until the 17th century, the territories where an ancient fortress previously stood were known as Columbine. They were bought by Jean Le Breton, the general controller of France for war under King Francis I, in the early 16th century, and a new castle was built around the ancient 14th century keep, where King Philip II of France once met Richard I of England to discuss peace.For more than two centuries, the castle was owned by the Le Breton family before being purchased by the Marquis de Castellane. The property was confiscated during the French Revolution, and Emperor Napoleon purchased it for his brother Jérôme Bonaparte at the turn of the century.Joachim Carvallo purchased the property in 1906 with the help of his wife Ann Coleman, the Coleman estate’s heiress. They then spent a lot of time, money, and effort repairing it and creating wonderful gardens. A water garden, attractive flower gardens, and vegetable gardens are among the classic Renaissance gardens. Low hedges are used to create formal designs in the gardens. The Château de Villandry was declared a Historic Monument in 1934. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as are all the other castles in the Loire Valley.Still owned by the Carvallo family, the Château de Villandry is open to the public and is one of the most visited châteaux in France.