Chateau de Meillant

Meillant is a jewel of the Berry region, perfectly illustrating the transition from Flamboyant Gothic to Renaissance styles. While its rear façade resembles an austere fortress, its courtyard façade is a dazzling display of stone lacework. The richly sculpted "Lion Tower" is considered one of the pinnacles of 16th-century French decorative art. The château belonged to the powerful Amboise family, who lavished their prestige on the ornamentation of this residence. The interior remains magnificently furnished and offers a tour through impressively sized rooms, notably the grand dining room with its tapestries. The coffered ceilings and monumental fireplaces bear witness to the luxury of court life under the last Valois kings. The park, crossed by a small river and adorned with a Gothic chapel, completes this picture of rare and understated elegance, far removed from the crowds of the grand Loire Valley châteaux.