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CASTLE OF THE DUKES OF LA TRÉMOÏLLE

Castle – Château
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Carte de l'emplacement de l'établissement
Rond-point du 19-Mars-1962, 79100Thouars, France
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05.49.68.16.25
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2024
Recommended
2024

Castle with the chapel-collegiate of Notre-Dame, vestiges of the former decoration and architectural elements painted in trompe-l'oeil

Commissioned by Duke Henry de La Trémoïlle and his wife Marie de La Tour d'Auvergne, Turenne's sister. A first pavilion was built in 1635, leading to the destruction of the ducal fortress. The new château, in the purest Louis XIII style, was designed by Jacques Lemercier, a royal architect famous for his work at Versailles, the Louvre and Richelieu. The 110 m-long façade and porticoed gallery of the main courtyard make it one of the most important residences of its time. Outside, clever terraced gardens lead to the orangery, built 1695-1705 by two masters of the art, Jules-Hardouin Mansart and Jacques V Gabriel. In 1707, a sumptuous stable project was launched. The La Trémoïlle family abandoned their fiefdom when the court of Louis XIV moved to Versailles.

The château has housed a public secondary school since the 1930s, which is why it is only open on Sundays in summer. The guided tour is led by one of the town's guides-conférenciers. A few vestiges of the sumptuous décor of yesteryear remain, including the ceiling of Marie de la Tour d'Auvergne's study, various trompe-l'œil painted architectural elements and the kitchen fireplaces.

Finally, you'll discover the chapel-collegiate of Notre-Dame, an earlier construction (1503), privately owned since 1987 and attached to the Vatican, which will be restored in 2023. In its lower chapel lie the tombs of the Dukes of La Trémoïlle, which can only be viewed during the summer festival.


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Members' reviews on CASTLE OF THE DUKES OF LA TRÉMOÏLLE

3/5
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Histoire
Visited in august 2019
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Intérêt limité pour le tourisme
On ne peut en voir que l’extérieur, le château étant converti en collège, le Collège Marie de la Tour d’Auvergne. Intérêt limité pour le tourisme – ne vaut pas le détour.
La chapelle du château est jolie mais pas plus ouverte à la visite que le château.
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@V
Visited in may 2016
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Impossible de passer à côté du château ! Cette grande bâtisse en hauteur est rapidement visible quand on approche de la ville de Thouars. Le château et la chapelle sont accessible en visites guidées les dimanches après-midi en mai (plusieurs fois par semaine sur juillet-août)

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