The History of the Castle
Mme de Andia
The Castle of La Chatonnière is built on the site of a troglodytic village with stables and an underground church. La Chatonnière was originally a stronghold on the old Roman road, the one which in the Middle Ages, Joan of Arc was to take. The four towers at each corner of the castle are strong reminders of the Hundred Years War and the wars of religion. Later the manor became a country house with land stretching between Azay-le-Rideau and the river Loire. During the 19th century La Chatonnière had many owners and the estate flourished while the land fell into disuse. The gardens shrank and the vale became overgrown with trees and undergrowth. In 1955 a family discovered this secret jem and set about restoring the gardens and bringing them back to their former glory.
The restoration of the castle has been going on since 1986. Seven years later, the gardens were conceptualised by Béatrice de Andia and carried out by Ahmed Azeroual who was the head gardener for 20 years at the Gardens of Villandry and who was appointed “the best gardener of France” in 1999.
