Château de Brissac – When you meet the Duke walking in the palace garden

Loire valley Contains quite a few castles, which have become museums. Most of them (at least the largest ones) belonged to the kings of France and hence for more than 300 years none of the original owners have visited there. Today, however, I would like to introduce you to a castle that has belonged to the same family for more than 500 years and whose owner, the Duke, can even be met by a walker in the large surrounding garden. Today I will tell you about the Chateau de Brissac, where we will discover not only a magnificent palace and charming gardens but also the story of a family whose sons stood at all the crossroads of France's decisions from the 16th century to the French Revolution.

But first, let's start with this lovely video that will show us Brissac Castle in all its glory:

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When you're six, you'll be with an evening meal in front of the fireplace...

The Cossé family began to rise to prominence in French history in the late 15th century when René de Cossé (1460-1540), an Anjou nobleman, managed to win over King Louis XII to his court through a strategic marriage with a daughter of the Gouffier family, one of the most important noble families at the king's court. He was also the one who bought the Château de Brissac from Louis de Brézé, the husband of Diana of Poitiers, who would later become the famous mistress of King Henry II (2-1519).

The next generation of the Cosset family continued to climb even higher in the French hierarchy. Charles de Cosset (1505-1563) managed to advance in the king’s army until he became Marshal of France. Charles, who was called “the beautiful Brissac”, excelled not only in the army but also in the king’s court and it can be said to his credit that he was the one who brought the violin to France, straight from Italy where he had served for many years. For all this he was awarded the title of count in 1560 and became Count of Brissac.

The Count of Brissac had a daughter named Anne, who married the Baron de Surgères and had a daughter named Helene. Helene served at the Queen's court. Catherine de Medici And there she met the famous French poet Pierre de Ronsard, who fell in love with her. Ronsard was much older than her, so it is not surprising that she rejected his advances. The result of Ronsard's heartbreak is perhaps the most famous sonnet of the 16th century, "The Song Below," which he translated with great skill. Dori Manor:

When it is six o'clock, with evening, by the fire,
And by the light of the lamp you will sit, weaving and weaving,
Sing my songs, and you will be amazed to know:
“In my life, Ronsard praised me all the same.”

Even if your mother is tired, you
She was drowsy, suddenly awake, startled.
Hear the name Ronsard, and you will hasten with passion
To bind the name of the blessed immortality.

I will dwell in silence. I will be a barren shadow.
We will rest among the shadows of Hades and the precious –
And you will be old and cry for the same.

The heat of my love that you refused is barren.
Listen to me and live today and not tomorrow:
I pluck the rose of life.
Grave from now on.

The man who opened the gates of Paris to Henry IV

His son Charles II (2-1550) was a devout Catholic and supported the Duke of Guise during the French Wars of Religion (1621-1559). However, some time after his appointment as governor Paris The Count of Brissac understood the futility of the war and the fact that Henry IV (4-1559) would be a much better ruler than the leaders of the Catholic League.

And so, through secret negotiations between him and Henry IV, it was decided that Charles would open the gates of Paris to the king's army, while Henry would convert to Catholicism. And so it was, Henry entered Paris in 4 and in 1593 he finally ended the Wars of Religion with the Edict of Nantes. In return for his important service, Charles received a title from the king and became the first Duke of Brissac.

The same Duke is also the man who built the well-known Brissac Castle on the ruins of an earlier castle from the 15th century. The castle began to be built in 1611 and it became the tallest castle in the Loire Valley (even higher thanChambord PalaceThe construction of the castle had just been completed and an important diplomatic event had already taken place there. The son of Henry IV Louis XIV (1601-1643), who was feuding with his mother Marie de Medici, chose the Château de Brissac as neutral territory to meet with his mother in 1620. The result of the meeting was a “truce” between mother and son, but it did not last for many years, and eventually Marie de Medici was expelled from France and died in exile in Cologne.

When the Duke's head flew through Madame du Barry's window

During the 18th century, the Dukes of Brissac continued to play a prominent role in French history. One of the most famous was Jean Paul Timoléon (1698-1784), whose mother, Marie Louise de Béchamel, was the daughter of Louis Béchameil, after whom the famous sauce is named. Jean Paul, like his ancestors, rose through the ranks of the French army and even served with the Knights of the Order of the Garter. MaltaIn 1759 he participated in the French defeat at the Battle of Minden and nevertheless earned the rank of Marshal for his tenacious fighting.

His son Louis Hercule (1734-1792) also had a military career, but at the same time managed to accumulate quite a few material assets, which made him one of the richest men in France during the reign of Louis XVI (a significant portion of the Dutch paintings that are today in the Musée d'Art Moderne are from his time).Louvre And the ancient books in the National Library were taken from his home in Paris during the French Revolution).

Louis Hercule became famous as the lover of the famous courtesan Madame du Barry, who had previously been the mistress of Louis XV. He loved her until the end of his life, even though she betrayed him with the Englishman Henry Seymour. Because he was loyal to Louis XVI, he was appointed commander of the Royal Guard in 15. However, the Guard was disbanded in 16 by the revolutionary government and the Duke was imprisoned. On 1791 September, while being brought to trial inVersailles  The Duke was attacked by an angry mob and after fighting with all his might he was murdered. That night the Countess du Barry heard the window of her room shatter. When she arrived she saw something wrapped in cloth. When she lifted the object she discovered the head of the Duke of Brissac and fainted.

Brissac from then to now

Brissac Castle was looted during French Revolution It was only in the middle of the 19th century that the Dukes of Brissac began to restore it and bring it back to its full glory. However, it was not only the Dukes who were responsible for the renovation and expansion of the palace, but also their wives. The most famous was Jeanne Say, the wife of the Marquis de Brissac, who was killed in 1871. Jeanne had considerable musical talent and after her husband's death she decided to establish a theater in the palace where, between 1890 and 1914, she sang and hosted the leading composers and musicians of her era.

The castle is currently managed by Charles André, Marquis de Brissac, son of the current Duke of Brissac. In addition to the castle itself, where you can find quite a few luxurious rooms, you will also find a lovely garden spread over many acres, a stable and a vineyard.

But beyond all that, if you stroll through the gardens there is a very good chance you will come across the Marquis or even the Duc de Brissac, who unlike other castle owners, like to meet their guests from time to time. All this makes the castle one of the hidden gems of the Loire Valley and a highly recommended place to visit.

The castle is open every day except Tuesday between 10:00-12:00 and 14:00-17:00. More information about it can be found here. On the castle site.

Want to live in Brissac Castle?

If you want to feel like a duke for a few days, you'll be happy to know that you can stay in a castle. Not only will you get a luxurious room, but you can visit all the castle rooms open to tourists and the huge park for free. The castle is located not far from the city of Angers and as such can become an excellent base for star trips in the Loire Valley. In my opinion, the combination of the beauty of the castle and the grounds and the not-so-horrible price (for the experience) makes the place highly recommended.

For more information and to book a room at Brissac Castle