Château de Villesavin
Five kilometres from Chambord and almost entirely overlooked by the tour-bus circuit, the Château de Villesavin was built between 1527 and 1537 by Jean le Breton — the same royal official who supervised construction of Chambord — as his personal residence. It is smaller, more intimate and far more human in scale than its famous neighbour, and on a weekday you may have the courtyard entirely to you
What to See Inside
The château houses an extraordinary private collection of horse-drawn carriages — over 40 vehicles spanning three centuries, from gilded court berlins to humble country gigs — displayed in the original stables with their tack and livery intact. It is one of the most complete carriage collections in France and oddly moving in its specificity.
The chapel contains a remarkable 16th-century Italian marble baptismal font, a gift from Catherine de Medici, and original Renaissance frescoes that have survived largely intact because the building was never significantly remodelled. The chapel is rarely mentioned in guidebooks; ask the custodian to unlock it.
The Gardens and Surroundings
The formal gardens are modest but beautifully kept, with a large ornamental dovecote — colombier — that once housed over 3,000 pigeons, a sign of the owner's feudal status. The structure is still intact and you can peer inside at the original rotating ladder used to collect eggs.
The surrounding bocage countryside is ideal for cycling. The Loire à Vélo cycling route passes nearby, and the Chambord estate is close enough to combine both in a single half-day loop by bike from the village of Tour-en-Sologne.
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