The Early Renaissance French Château de Vallery, in Vallery, in the ''département'' of

Yonne Yonne (, in Burgundian: ''Ghienne'') is a department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in France. It is named after the river Yonne, which flows through it, in the country's north-central part. One of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté's eight con ...

in the

Burgundy Burgundy ( ; ; Burgundian: ''Bregogne'') is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. ...

region of

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, was built in 1548 for Jacques d'Albon de Saint-André, marquis de Fronsac, a court favorite of Henri II and ''

maréchal de France Marshal of France (, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished (1793–1804) and for a period ...

''. It was never completed, and what remains of it has been mutilated. The site he chose was the ancient '' château-fort'' of Vallery, dating in part to the early thirteenth century; he purchased it 16 April 1548. Traces of walls and fortified towers remain at the site. The architect was the king's architect,

Pierre Lescot Pierre Lescot ( – 10 September 1578) was a French architect of the French Renaissance period. He is known for designing the Fontaine des Innocents and the Lescot wing of the Louvre in Paris. Lescot contributed to the incorporation of classical ...

, who also built the ''

hôtel particulier () is the French term for a grand urban mansion, comparable to a Townhouse (Great Britain), British townhouse. Whereas an ordinary (house) was built as part of a row, sharing party walls with the houses on either side and directly fronting on a ...

'' of the Maréchal in Paris (demolished). Vallery's facades, today of brick with stone quoins and details, were originally covered with red and black marble. Works at Vallery were interrupted by the king's death (1559), followed by that of the Maréchal (1562). Two years later his widow passed Vallery to Louis I de Bourbon, prince de Condé, who decorated the ceilings of the south wing:

Francesco Primaticcio Francesco Primaticcio (; April 30, 1504 – 1570) was an Italian Mannerism, Mannerist Painting, painter, architect and sculpture, sculptor who spent most of his career in France. Biography Born in Bologna, he trained under Giulio Romano ( ...

provided some of the internal decoration in the manner of his

School of Fontainebleau The School of Fontainbleau () () refers to two periods of artistic production in France during the late French Renaissance centered on the royal Palace of Fontainebleau that were crucial in forming Northern Mannerism, and represent the first majo ...

. Engravings of Vallery and its

parterre A ''parterre'' is a part of a formal garden constructed on a level substrate, consisting of symmetrical patterns, made up by plant beds, plats, low hedges or coloured gravels, which are separated and connected by paths. Typically it was the ...

gardens at this time appeared in Jacques Androuet du Cerceau's ''Les plus excellents bastiments de France''. In the church is the grand marble tomb of Henry II de Bourbon, prince de Condé (1588–1646), designed by the illustrious sculptor Gilles Guérin. After 1682 (when drawings by Sengre, now at the Musée Condé in Chantilly, were made) the south wing, which was the main ''

corps de logis In architecture, a ''corps de logis'' () is the principal or main block, or central building of a mansion, country or manor house, castle, or palace. It contains the rooms of principal business, the state apartments and the ceremonial or formal ...

'' was demolished, under Louise-Anne de Bourbon-Condé, Mlle de Sens (1695–1768), daughter of Louis III de Bourbon, prince de Condé, leaving the west wing, a grand gallery supported on an arcade, which was now closed in, and the southwest corner

pavilion In architecture, ''pavilion'' has several meanings; * It may be a subsidiary building that is either positioned separately or as an attachment to a main building. Often it is associated with pleasure. In palaces and traditional mansions of Asia ...

. In 1747 the heiress Elisabeth de Condé sold the château; it suffered further demolitions and alterations, and in the twentieth century it lay for some time abandoned. More recently its Grande Galerie has had its partitions removed and is restored to its original dimensions; the château is currently rented for wedding parties.

Gallery

Image:Chateau de Vallery DSC 0230.JPG, Pavilion File:Chateau-de-Vallery-DSC 0066.jpg, Gate (14th century) File:Chateau-de-Vallery-DSC 0058.jpg, Gallery File:Chateau-de-Vallery-DSC 0082.jpg, Pavilion

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chateau De Vallery Vallery Châteaux with Renaissance gardens in France