After the 2014 redesign of the romantic and landscaped gardens, in the image of those that existed in 1850, the Azay-le-Rideau Chateau began an extensive restoration in early 2015.
The aim is to restore the original carpentry dating back to the 16th century, the slate cover, the facade and its sculpted ornamentation – which were suffering from several ailments with the increase in salines and a lichen invasion.
“This construction work was necessary in order to restore the castle’s luster, even if it was never really lost. We have a duty to pass it along so that our children can discover it as well,” explains Chrystelle Laurent-Rogowski, the administrator of the castle.
During the construction (which should come to an end at the beginning of 2018), this property of the Historic Monuments Center (CMN), which welcomed 273,000 visitors in 2014, will remain accessible to the public.
Visitors are invited to discover the corridors of the site and the ancestral savoir-faire of the artisans. “This is a first for the national monuments. Instead of hiding the construction site, we are sharing it with our visitors, for whom we assist in discovering our doctrine and code of professional ethics.”