Château de Villandry, the last built in the Loire valley, known for its huge lush gardens. They are so gorgeous that tourists are often recognized: the lock they do not remember, all eclipsed gardens.

Although the castle, of course, is also worthy of attention. It is built on the spot where once stood the feudal fortress of Colombo. In 1189 the tower of the fortress of the French king Philip Augustus held talks with his opponent - the English king Henry II. The talks ended with the signing of the "Treaty Colombier" in favor of Philip Augustus. In 1532 the new owner, Jean le Breton, built a castle here in the style of French Renaissance, leaving the old foundation and tower-dungeon. The castle is different from other local so that they are not owned by the king or his mistress, a high official - Le Breton was finance minister under Francis I, superintendent in the construction of the Castle of Chambord, ambassador in Rome.

There, in Rome, he became interested in gardening. Applied their knowledge, build the castle - at the foot of Le Breton laid gardens, had already become famous outside of the Loire Valley.

In the XVIII century the estate was sold to the Marquis de Castellane, who rebuilt the house in the neoclassical style, and the gardens designed in the English spirit. Ownership passed from hand to hand (including owned visited Napoleon's brother - Jerome Bonaparte). A truly new life began at the castle when it acquired Joachim Carvalho.

Spanish doctor Carvalho bought Villandry in 1906 when the estate was in the doldrums. The then owners were going, if nobody buys the castle, to demolish it. Carvalho saved Villandry and since then it has spent all his money. He restored the old Renaissance style, not only the building but also the surrounding area.

Spacious "water garden" with swans, surrounded by linden alleys, sculpturally trimmed hedges, four "garden of love" ... All these beautiful and fragrant plots are at different levels (top view from the castle - unforgettable). Descendants Carvalho, which is still owned by the estate, continue to develop it in 1970 opened the Apothecary Garden, and in 2008 - "Garden of the Sun" on the top terrace.

But perhaps the favorite among tourists part of the local area - the garden. Ornamental beds (call them the beds do not dare) nine square sections of the garden - a real masterpiece of Villandry. Carefully consider not only the geometric shapes and combinations of colors than forty kinds of vegetables: a gray leek, red beet, jade-green leaves carrot impression multicolored checkerboard. Ornamental cabbage, growing next to roses, the beauty is not inferior to them.

Here are working nine gardeners, and they have enough work: in 2009, became an organic vegetable garden - pesticides are not used for the treatment and power plants use natural fertilizing, weeding lead hand.

In the gift shop you can buy the seeds of native plants to try to grow by the same pumpkin, poppies, forget-me-or the very decorative cabbage - it lovely.