Chateau de Cheverny

Cheverny was built between 1624 and 1630 in one campaign, which is why it is perfectly symmetrical in pale Bourre stone that whitens with age, and it has stayed with the same family, the Hurault line, for over six centuries. That continuity means the interiors are genuinely furnished rather than reassembled: tapestries, painted panelling, a Delft-tiled dining room. Herge used the facade for Marlinspike Hall in the Tintin books, cropping off the two end pavilions, and an exhibition inside plays on the resemblance. A pack of around a hundred and twenty hunting hounds is kept in the kennels, and their feeding is a scheduled daily spectacle.

History

In 1315 Cheverny belonged to Henry Le Mareschau, a vassal of the Count of Blois, and in the late 14th century it was sold to Jean Hurault; his grandson Jacques, who served Louis XI, Charles VIII and Louis XII, became lord of Cheverny, and a new house was built early in the 16th century. Confiscated for fraud against the state, the estate was given by Henry II to Diane de Poitiers, who sold it back to the former owner's son, and Philippe Hurault built the present château between 1624 and 1630 to designs by Jacques Bougier of Blois, its interiors completed by 1650. A major interior renovation followed in 1768; the family sold the estate in 1802 and bought it back in 1824, and in 1914 the owner opened it to the public, one of the first châteaux to do so. Their descendants, the de Vibraye family, still live here and keep a pack of some one hundred and twenty hounds (Wikipedia, Château de Cheverny).

What to look for

• The furnished interiors - six centuries of one family's contents in place.
• The hound pack - about a hundred and twenty dogs with a scheduled feeding.
• The Tintin exhibition - the Marlinspike Hall connection made explicit.
• The park - canal boats, electric carts and a kitchen garden.

When to go

April to October; the hound feeding happens most days in season at a fixed time and is worth timing a visit around. The chateau opens year-round.

Good to know

The hound feeding is brief and crowded, and it is not for everyone. The Tintin exhibition is a separate ticket element and aimed at families. There are no grand Renaissance features here; the appeal is furnishing.

Nearby

Blois lies north; Chambord is northeast.

Key facts