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Loire valley-Chateau d'Ussé-A fairytale castle

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Chambord

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Azay le Rideau

Chinon

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Cheverny

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Ussé

Quite expensive entrance fee. The visit is obligatory in-group. To get at the chateau, exit Chinon by the D 751 direction Tours, arriving at the crossing with the D 16 turn left direction Huismes. From there, straight on, cross the D 7 and later the Indre river, then take the little road leading to l'ile Saint-Martin. From l'Ile Saint-Martin to Rigny-Usse, the road offers a few exceptional views on a profusion of roofs, turrets, chimneys, slender spires and corner-turrets of this extravagant chateau set in its dark green casket of the surrounding forest
The fairy tale enchanting CHATEAU D'USSE is Open from mid-February to mid-November. Tel 0247955405
Ussé is supposed to have inspired Perrault when he describes the “Chateau de la Belle au bois dormant", one of the eleven fairy tales he wrote in a series “Les Contes de ma mère l’Oye.
Wax puppets stand everywhere in the chateau to remind us about that.
Its luminous stones stands on a hillock is embellished by terraced gardens. Turned towards the Indre, this 15th century castle, first built as a defensive edifice, changed through the centuries into a graceful residence, softening the severity of its initial defensive elements.
The visit starts with the "salle des gardes" and it's arms collection.

Elegant salle du Roi

In the gallery, amusingFlemish tapestry from Teniers the Younger representing hyper realistic daily scenes: angry dogs, on every corner a man doing its natural needs without any shame...you could think you're present in the tapestry! Also other beautiful Flemish tapestries.  In the antechamber on the first floor, an incredible 16th century Florentine cabinet in ebony and pear-tree wood encrusted with mother-of-pearl and ivory. It has no less than 49 drawers! In the rooms Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI (who never set a foot in these rooms), you can see a bed "a la Polonaise", on wheels, and wax personages of which Voltaire, sitting on a sofa admiring the delicate work of women making French robes in hand embroidered silk, with bouquets in their hands, all different. The watch trail around the chateau is bordered by glassed pieces, all evoking episodes of the "Sleeping Beauty".
Finally, a beautiful chapel (one of my preferred), next to the chateau is a perfect example of the transition from gothic to Renaissance, considered as one of the finest examples of the transition gothic-Renaissance. Built between 1523 and 1535 by Charles d'Espinay and his wife Lucrece de Pons whose initials C and L appear frequently, it offers a refined sculpted facade decorated by shells, rose windows, and arabesques. Inside, magnificent 16th century choir stalls, also sculpted, and an enamelled Virgin by Della Robbia.

Bibliography

Guide du Patrimoine, Centre, Val de Loire , by Perouse de Montclos (ed.Hachette 1992)—Het dal van de Loire, by A.Sperber (Brussels, ed.Harenberg 1992),-- Guide du Routard 1998 (ed.Hachette)—de kastelen van Frankrijk, by L.P.Boon (1956), « Perrault et ses chateaux féeriques, réalité ou fiction ? » by François de Lalande, (ed.Stadspress-Ekeren)« de mooiste kastelen van Frankrijk », by Daniel de Gans (ed.Lannoo 1996)