Château de Montigny-le-Gannelon, Renaissance château and arts venue in Montigny-le-Gannelon, France

Château de Montigny-le-Gannelon is a Renaissance castle in Cloyes-les-Trois-Rivières, France, set on elevated ground with its eastern facade facing the Loir River. The property includes a thirteen-hectare park and also serves as an arts venue with a gallery on site.

The site held a medieval fortress from the time of Charlemagne, built here to serve as a defensive post. In 1495, Jacques de Renty rebuilt it entirely and turned it into a Renaissance residence, shifting its purpose from military defense to aristocratic living.

On the west facade, seven figures carved in stone atop the cloister columns personify the deadly sins: Pride with an eagle, Lust shown nude, Gluttony as a stout figure, Wrath with open mouth, Sloth with unkempt beard, and Envy and Avarice facing each other. The clock tower also bears three garlands, two of vine leaves recalling the vineyards once grown along the Loir.

The castle sits in the village of Montigny-le-Gannelon and is easy to reach by car, with parking nearby. Since the property also hosts private events, it is worth checking ahead to make sure it is open on the day you plan to visit.

The clock tower's three garlands include two identical carvings of vines, recalling the vineyards once grown along the Loir, and a third showing a widow holding a thread through a ring. It marks the death of an owner during the tower's construction, not a wife honoured later.