Château de Balleroy, Classical castle in Balleroy-sur-Drôme, France.

Château de Balleroy is a classical castle built with balanced proportions, featuring a central pavilion and two matching wings connected by galleries. The steep slate roofs and the formal layout of the gardens create a harmonious ensemble typical of 17th century French design.

Jean de Choisy, wine supplier at Henry IV's court, bought the fief of Balleroy on 1 April 1600. His son Jean II had the château built, with construction given as 1626–1636 in one source and 1625–1630 in another, on plans attributed to François Mansart, who came to Balleroy from 1632 to 1634. The land was made a marquisate by letters patent of December 1704.

The château's name comes from the old fief of Baleré, bought in 1600 by Jean de Choisy, a wine merchant at Henry IV's court. Inside, the grand salon displays Pierre Mignard's Le Char du Soleil and portraits of Louis XIII and Louis XIV's family, commissioned by Mme de Choisy. In the dining room hang four hunting scenes by Albert de Balleroy, a friend of Manet.

You can explore the interior through guided tours and walk the formal gardens at your own pace. The outdoor areas are best enjoyed in clear weather, so plan accordingly.

The garden's boxwood scrollwork and the terrace flanked by two pavilions are described in the sources, but the attribution of the garden to André Le Nôtre is not supported by them. What the sources do record is that Mansart came to Balleroy from 1632 to 1634 and drew up the plans for the château and the old village, which was shifted around a main axis to open a view along the approach road.