AzayleRideau

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Azay-le-Rideau
By Eddie Lee
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The chateau of Azay-le-Rideau was one of the
first castles of the Renaissance. It was built
between 1518 and 1523 for Gilles Berthelot, a
rich treasurer who was in the service of King
François I. He was later in jeopardy and the
chateau was confiscated. However, Azay-le-Rideau
is an unfinished castle. In the initial plan it
was to form a quadrilateral but the two
complementary wings were never built.
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Azay-le-Rideau is a small town which is located
at 25 km southwest of Tours and at 20 km east of
Chinon. It is located on the Indre River.
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Considered the most feminine of the Loire
castles, it includes decorative turrets, and
scenic moats. Its design is a perfect alliance of
the traditional and elements borrowed from
Italian architecture. Its sculpted decor and the
beauty of its walls make this castle so famous.
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The Azay-le-Rideau is known as the of the gem of
Touraine and is the purest and best of early
French Renaissance. The towers at the angles are
pierced with beautiful cross windows, and have
pyramidal roofs crowned with spikes and adorned
with chimneys.
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Anecdotes
Azay-le-Rideau was originally built by Charles
VII. One day, in 1418, a guard, who lived there
insulted Charles VII. Charles was so mad that he
burned it to the ground. Gilles Berthelot rebuilt
it from1518 to 1527.
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Azay-le-Rideau had several owners. In particular,
Henri de Beringhem to who installed and decorated
the Room of the King. The castle now belongs to
France since 1905.
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People who lived in Azay-le-Rideau usually
dressed in Renaissance clothes.
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Azay-le-Rideau, which now serves as a museum,
contains many furniture that dates back to the
16th century. There are also many interesting
rooms such the Red Room (above left). Also there
are many famous paintings.
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Today, a sound and light show, "Les Imaginaires
d'Azay-le-Rideau", invites the visitor to walk
along the river. South of Azay-le-Rideau, the
village of Crissay-sur-Manse has been recognized
as one of the "most beautiful villages in
France". The museum is open daily from 12h-10h,
except for January 1, May 1, November 11, and
December 25.
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