Thought by many to be the most perfectly proportioned château of all, Cheverny represents the zenith of French classical architecture: the perfect blend of symmetry, geometry and aesthetic order. Since its construction between 1625 and 1634 by Jacques Hurault, an intendant to Louis XII, the castle has hardly been altered, and its interior decoration includes some of the most sumptuous furnishings, tapestries and objets d’art anywhere in the Loire Valley.
Tintin fans might find the château’s façade oddly familiar: Hérgé used it as a model (minus the two end towers) for Moulinsart (Marlinspike) Hall, the ancestral home of Tintin’s irascible sidekick, Captain Haddock. A dynamic exhibition, Les Secrets de Moulinsart, explores the Tintin connections with re-created scenes, thunder and other special effects.
The interior of Château de Cheverny was designed by Jean Monier, known for his work on Luxembourg Palace for Queen Marie de Médicis. Highlights include a formal dining room with panels depicting the story of Don Quixote, the king’s chamber with murals relating stories from Greek mythology, a bridal chamber and children’s playroom (complete with Napoléon III–era toys). The guards’ room is full of pikestaffs, claymores and suits of armour – including a tiny one fit for a kid.
The Hurault family has owned (and inhabited) the castle for the last six centuries and their fabulous art collection includes a portrait of Jeanne of Aragon by Raphael’s studio, an 18th-century De la Tour pastel, and a who’s who of court painters. Keep your eyes open for the certificate signed by US president George Washington.
Behind the main château, the 18th-century orangerie (where many priceless artworks, including the Mona Lisa, were stashed during WWII) is now a tearoom.
Near the château’s gateway, the kennels house pedigreed French pointer/English foxhound hunting dogs still used by the owners of Cheverny: feeding time, known as the Soupe des Chiens , takes place daily at 5pm April to September and 3pm Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, October to March.
