Maintenon Castle, Renaissance castle in Maintenon, France
Maintenon Castle is a Renaissance castle in France featuring three round towers surrounding the main building, with east and west wings arranged around a courtyard. A moat fed by the Eure River crosses through the grounds, emphasizing the defensive structure of this historic estate.
Jean Cottereau, treasurer under Louis XII, acquired the property in the early 1500s and transformed the medieval fortress into a residential castle. Later it served as a residence for Madame de Maintenon and subsequently the Noailles family.
The castle houses elegant salons decorated in the Chinese style and displays portraits of multiple generations from the Noailles family. These rooms tell the story of the aristocratic families who lived here through the centuries.
Visiting the castle involves touring separate sections that reflect different time periods and decorative styles. The layout guides you through apartments from the 1600s and rooms from the 1800s, each with its own furnishings and arrangement.
At the end of the gardens stands an unfinished aqueduct designed by Vauban between 1685 and 1690. This structure reveals Louis XIV's ambitious plans to bring water to Versailles, a project that was never fully completed.
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