In the heart of the royal city spread the 40 acres of Dom Pacello’s forgotten paradise, a unique example of the encounter between Italian and French artists of the Renaissance.
The most Italian chateau in the Loire Valley
When he discovers Naples in late 1494, Charles VIII literally falls in love with the beauty of Italian villas, enchanted by the luxury of their gardens and the exoticism of their fruits. Back to Amboise, he asks his Italian artists to recreate in his royal capital this little Mediterranean paradise.
″If Adam and Eve were here, this wonderful paradise would be a new Eden ″ Charles VIII
When Francois I becomes king, he offers the estate to Dom Pacello de Mercogliano, his master gardener, who will show there all his creative talents. He plants the first orange trees in the kingdom, sculpts the plants and grows some rare species, perfectly adapted to the microclimate of this pretty sunny valley.
The new birth of Chateau Gaillard
Passing the gate of the Château Gaillard awakes all your senses. The colors of its flowerbeds, its shining limestone, the sweet perfume of its orange blossoms, the lapping of its spring, the quivering of its tree leaves… not forgetting its freshly pressed savory orange juice. Abandon yourself to contemplation in front of its sculpted façade, take a walk on one of its seven trails and just enjoy the quietness of Francois I hidden paradise.
Domaine royal de Château Gaillard
95 avenue Léonard de Vinci
37400 AMBOISE
Tél. : 02 47 30 33 29
