The Château d'Anet is a

château A château (, ; plural: châteaux) is a manor house, or palace, or residence of the lord of the manor, or a fine country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally, and still most frequently, in French-speaking re ...

near

Dreux Dreux () is a Communes of France, commune in the Eure-et-Loir Departments of France, department in northern France. Geography Dreux lies on the small river Blaise (river), Blaise, a tributary of the Eure (river), Eure, about 35 km north of Cha ...

, in the

Eure-et-Loir Eure-et-Loir (, locally: ) is a French department, named after the Eure and Loir rivers. It is located in the region of Centre-Val de Loire. In 2019, Eure-et-Loir had a population of 431,575.department in northern

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 ...

, built by

Philibert de l'Orme Philibert de l'Orme () (3-9 June 1514 – 8 January 1570) was a French architect and writer, and one of the great masters of French Renaissance architecture. His surname is also written De l'Orme, de L'Orme, or Delorme. Biography Early care ...

from 1547 to 1552 for

Diane de Poitiers Diane de Poitiers (9 January 1500 – 25 April 1566) was a French noblewoman and courtier who wielded much power and influence as King Henry II of France, Henry II's Maîtresse-en-titre, royal mistress and adviser until his death. Her position inc ...

, the mistress of

Henry II of France Henry II (; 31 March 1519 – 10 July 1559) was List of French monarchs#House of Valois-Angoulême (1515–1589), King of France from 1547 until his death in 1559. The second son of Francis I of France, Francis I and Claude of France, Claude, Du ...

. It was built on the former château at the center of the domains of Diane's deceased husband,

Louis de Brézé, seigneur d'Anet Louis may refer to: People * Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name * Louis (surname) * Louis (singer), Serbian singer Other uses * Louis (coin), a French coin * HMS Louis, HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy Se ...

, Marshal of Normandy and Master of the Hunt. The château is especially noted for its exterior, notably the '' Fountain of Diana'', a statue of Diane de Poitiers as Diana, goddess of the hunt, and the '' Nymph of Anet'', a relief by

Benvenuto Cellini Benvenuto Cellini (, ; 3 November 150013 February 1571) was an Italian goldsmith, sculptor, and author. His best-known extant works include the ''Cellini Salt Cellar'', the sculpture of ''Perseus with the Head of Medusa'', and his autobiography ...

over the portal. Anet was the site of one of the first Italianate

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 centered on the building's façade in France; the garden designer in charge was Jacques Mollet, who trained his son at Anet, Claude Mollet, destined to become royal gardener to three French kings.

History

Era of Diane de Poitiers and her descendants

The château, which faced the south, was built partly upon the foundations and cellar vaults of a feudal castle that had been dismantled by

Charles V Charles V may refer to: Kings and Emperors * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise Others * Charles V, Duke ...

and was subsequently rebuilt as a Late Gothic manor of brick and stone. The name comes from Simon d'Anet, who owned the chateau in the twelfth century. In 1444, it was given to Pierre de Brézé by Charles VII, in return for Pierre's services in expelling the English from

Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...

. The château of Diane was constructed between 1548 and 1552. It was formed around three courts, with the ''

Cour d'honneur A court of honor ( ; ) is the principal and formal approach and forecourt of a large building. It is usually defined by two secondary wings projecting forward from the main central block ('' corps de logis''), sometimes with a fourth side, co ...

'' at the center. The kitchens were located off the right-hand court, while the left-hand court accessed an '' Orangerie'' and a

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 ...

known as the ''Gouvernement'' – so called because it housed the ''Gouverneur'' of the estate. The ''Gouvernement'' also housed the ''Chambre de Trésor'' (treasury) where the deeds of property and archives of the de Brézé family were kept. Beyond the nucleus of the château were the formal gardens, a square area divided into

parterres 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 ...

and surrounded by galleries. Attached to the gallery on the north side, opposite the Chateau, was a suite of baths. Northeast of the right-hand court, also known as the ''Cour de Charles le Mauvais'', were the stables. Even further north from the stables was the ''

Hôtel-Dieu In French-speaking countries, a hôtel-Dieu () was originally a hospital for the poor and needy, run by the Catholic Church. Nowadays these buildings or institutions have either kept their function as a hospital, the one in Paris being the oldest an ...

'', where the sick servants and dependents of the estate were treated. West of the left-hand court, the ''Cour de gauche'', was Diane's mortuary chapel, as well as an

aviary An aviary is a large enclosure for confining birds, although bats may also be considered for display. Unlike birdcages, aviaries allow birds a larger living space where Bird flight, they can fly; hence, aviaries are also sometimes known as flig ...

and heronry. File:Collection- A. D. White Architectural Photographs, Cornell University Library (3486777236).jpg, Bird's-eye view, published by François L’Anglois in the early 17th century File:Le Premier Tome de l'Architecture MET DP109532.jpg, Design for the entrance portal, published in

Philibert de L'Orme Philibert de l'Orme () (3-9 June 1514 – 8 January 1570) was a French architect and writer, and one of the great masters of French Renaissance architecture. His surname is also written De l'Orme, de L'Orme, or Delorme. Biography Early care ...

's ''Le Premier Tome de l'Architecture'' (1567) File:Floorplan of Chateau d'Anet, from Les plus excellents bastiments de France MET DP834468.jpg, Site plan, engraved by Jacques Androuet du Cerceau for his second volume of ''Les Plus Excellents Bastiments de France'' (1579) File:Kapelle ensba paris 02.jpg, Frontispiece for the ''

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

'', now at the

École des Beaux-Arts ; ) refers to a number of influential art schools in France. The term is associated with the Beaux-Arts architecture, Beaux-Arts style in architecture and city planning that thrived in France and other countries during the late nineteenth centu ...

in Paris File:Château d'Anet - Anet - Eure-et-Loir - France - Mérimée PA00096955 (29).jpg, Replica of the '' Fountain of Diana'' at Anet File:Fountain of Diana of Anet, from the second volume of 'Les plus excellents bastiments de France' by Jacques Androuet du Cerceau (adjusted).jpg, ''Fountain of Diana'', engraved by Jacques Androuet du Cerceau (1579) File:Château d'Anet - Anet - Eure-et-Loir - France - Mérimée PA00096955 (4).jpg, Replica of

relief Relief is a sculpture, sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term ''wikt:relief, relief'' is from the Latin verb , to raise (). To create a sculpture in relief is to give ...

, the '' Nymph of Anet'', located over the portal File:Château d'Anet - Anet - Eure-et-Loir - France - Mérimée PA00096955 (65).jpg, Coat of arms

Chapel

The now free-standing chapel of Anet was built in 1549-1552 as an appendage on the east side of the east wing of the ''

cour d'honneur A court of honor ( ; ) is the principal and formal approach and forecourt of a large building. It is usually defined by two secondary wings projecting forward from the main central block ('' corps de logis''), sometimes with a fourth side, co ...

''. It was designed on a centralized

Greek cross The Christian cross, with or without a figure of Jesus, Christ included, is the main religious symbol of Christianity. A cross with a figure of Christ affixed to it is termed a crucifix and the figure is often referred to as the ''corpus'' (La ...

floor plan under a diagonally-coffered dome. The original entrance was on the courtyard façade of the east wing, which was subsequently demolished. It has a porch with widely spaced paired Ionic columns between towers crowned by pyramidal spires. The stained-glass windows were made around 1904 by

Charles Lorin Charles Jean Baptiste Claude Lorin was a French glass painter and manufacturer. He was born on October 16, 1866, in Chartres, the capital of the Eure-et-Loir department in France, and died in the same city on April 23, 1940. About Charles Lori ...

from

Chartres Chartres () is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Eure-et-Loir Departments of France, department in the Centre-Val de Loire Regions of France, region in France. It is located about southwest of Paris. At the 2019 census, there were 1 ...

. File:Chateau Anet - chapelle.jpg, Chapel entrance façade File:Chateau d'anet 001.jpg, Side-view of the chapel File:Château d'Anet - Anet - Eure-et-Loir - France - Mérimée PA00096955 (52).jpg, The chapel's spiral-coffered dome, designed by Philibert de L'Orme File:Chateau Anet - intérieur chapelle.jpg, Interior of chapel File:Château d'Anet - Anet - Eure-et-Loir - France - Mérimée PA00096955 (51).jpg, Stained-glass window by Charles Lorin

Mortuary chapel

There is also the mortuary chapel, built according to

' last wishes to contain her tomb, commissioned from Claude de Foucques by Diane's daughter, the Duchesse d'Aumale. In 1581, Henri III and his mother

Catherine de' Medici Catherine de' Medici (, ; , ; 13 April 1519 – 5 January 1589) was an Italian Republic of Florence, Florentine noblewoman of the Medici family and Queen of France from 1547 to 1559 by marriage to Henry II of France, King Henry II. Sh ...

came to the chapel to attend the baptism of the infant son of Charles, duc d'Aumale. File:Floorplan, Facade and Cross Section of one of the Chapels at Chateau d'Anet, from "Les plus excellents bastiments de France" MET DP834457.jpg, Chapel entrance façade File:Floorplan, Facade and Cross Section of one of the Chapels at Chateau d'Anet, from "Les plus excellents bastiments de France" MET DP834456.jpg, Floor plan File:Floorplan, Facade and Cross Section of one of the Chapels at Chateau d'Anet, from "Les plus excellents bastiments de France" MET DP834458.jpg, Transverse section File:Château d'Anet - Anet - Eure-et-Loir - France - Mérimée PA00096955 (86).jpg, Entrance façade File:Château d'Anet - Anet - Eure-et-Loir - France - Mérimée PA00096955 (75).jpg, Interior view to the north File:Château d'Anet - Anet - Eure-et-Loir - France - Mérimée PA00096955 (83).jpg, interior view to the south

Subsequent history

In 1576, Diane's daughter Louise de Brézé transferred ownership of the château to her son Charles, Duke of Aumale. Charles constructed a convent for the

Cordeliers The Society of the Friends of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen ( ), mainly known as Cordeliers Club ( ), was a Populism, populist List of political groups in the French Revolution, political club during the French Revolution from 1790 to 179 ...

in 1587 at the western edge of the Anet parkland. Some years later, Charles was implicated in a conspiracy against Henry IV; he fled into exile in 1595. In his absence, the

Parlement of Paris The ''Parlement'' of Paris () was the oldest ''parlement'' in the Kingdom of France, formed in the 14th century. Parlements were judicial, rather than legislative, bodies and were composed of magistrates. Though not representative bodies in the p ...

condemned him to death and confiscated all his property. It declared that the Château d'Anet be demolished and the forests of the estate felled. However, Henry IV intervened and saved the château from destruction. In 1610, the Duke was bankrupted by his heavy debts and one of his creditors, Marie of Luxembourg, Duchess of Penthièvre, laid claim to the château. Her ownership was confirmed by the Parlement in 1615. The property's ownership then passed to Marie's daughter Françoise de Lorraine and her husband César de Vendôme, an illegitimate son of Henry IV. The property was owned, or at least occupied, by Louis Joseph, Duke of Vendôme. Louis Joseph was very fond of the château, entertaining his friends there in luxury. Guests included the poets Guillaume Amfrye de Chaulieu and Chapelle. Vendôme undertook major alterations which removed many original features and decoration from the Renaissance. Only the bedchamber of Diane was spared from the redecoration of the apartments. A third story was added to the ''corps de logis'' to increase the accommodation and the wing on the left-hand side was rebuilt.Lenoir, Alexandre, "Description du Château d'Anet", ''Memoires de l'Académie Celtique: ou, Recherches sur les antiquités celtiques, gauloises et françaises.'' Vol. 5 (1810); p. 514 The gardens, which had fallen into neglect over the years, were destroyed, and the redesign of the parkland entrusted to

André Le Nôtre André Le Nôtre (; 12 March 1613 – 15 September 1700), originally rendered as André Le Nostre, was a French landscape architect and the principal gardener of King Louis XIV of France. He was the landscape architect who designed Gardens ...

. The galleries and bath building surrounding the old gardens were demolished; so too were the ''orangerie'', aviary, and heronry. The stables and ''Hôtel-Dieu'' were also demolished and rebuilt in new locations, to make way for intersecting canals. The canals fed two windmills, one of which was built on the site of the old ''Hôtel-Dieu''. One of the canals was dedicated to

carp The term carp (: carp) is a generic common name for numerous species of freshwater fish from the family (biology), family Cyprinidae, a very large clade of ray-finned fish mostly native to Eurasia. While carp are prized game fish, quarries and a ...

and divided into two compartments by a wall of water lilies. In 1686, the Grand Dauphin visited Anet for 8 days, where he was sumptuously entertained by Louis-Joseph. The festivities cost the Duke of Vendôme more than 100,000 '' livres'', so much money that

Louis XIV LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...

would only consent to his son returning for another visit on the condition that the expenses be paid by himself. The property later belonged to many of Louis XIV's descendants: Louise-Françoise de Bourbon died here in 1743, she was a daughter of the famous illegitimate son of Louis XIV, the Duc du Maine. His sons the prince des Dombes and comte d'Eu lived here when away from Versailles. It was later owned by the fabulously wealthy duc de Penthièvre, first cousin of the prince and the comte. The château wasn't pillaged during the French Revolution, but

' remains were removed to a pauper's ditch in the parish cemetery and the rich contents of the château, which were the property of King

Louis XVI Louis XVI (Louis-Auguste; ; 23 August 1754 – 21 January 1793) was the last king of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. The son of Louis, Dauphin of France (1729–1765), Louis, Dauphin of France (son and heir- ...

's cousin, Louis Jean Marie de Bourbon, duc de Penthièvre, were sold at auction as ''biens nationaux''. A large part of the château was subsequently demolished, but only after

Alexandre Lenoir Marie Alexandre Lenoir (; 27 December 1761 – 11 June 1839) was a French archaeologist. Self-taught, he devoted himself to saving France's historic monuments, sculptures and tombs from the ravages of the French Revolution, notably those of Sain ...

was able to salvage some architectural elements for his Musée des Monuments Français (presently situated in the

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

). The restoration of the château itself, in pitiable condition, was due to comte , who purchased it in 1840 and undertook a colossal program of restoration. Under financial duress, Caraman sold the château in 1860 to , who continued the restoration, purchasing furnishings and works of art that were thought to be originally from the château. The set of

tapestry Tapestry is a form of Textile arts, textile art which was traditionally Weaving, woven by hand on a loom. Normally it is used to create images rather than patterns. Tapestry is relatively fragile, and difficult to make, so most historical piece ...

hangings woven for the château, in Paris, to cartoons by Jean Cousin, forming a ''History of Diana'' in compliment to Diane de Poitiers, is now widely scattered; it set a precedent for suites of Diana-themed tapestries that remained popular into the 18th century. The elements were reinstalled at Anet after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. In 1889, the ''château'' is designated by the French government as a protected ''

monument historique () is a designation given to some national heritage sites in France. It may also refer to the state procedure in France by which national heritage protection is extended to a building, a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings, ...

'' (

national heritage site A national heritage site is a heritage site having a value that has been registered by a governmental agency as being of national importance to the cultural heritage or history of that country. Usually such sites are listed in a heritage regis ...

).La plateforme ouverte du patrimoine - Château d'Anet (in French)
/ref> The castle was used as a filming location in the 1965 James Bond film '' Thunderball'' and 1976 film '' The Pink Panther Strikes Again''. The entry pavilion for Chateau d'Anet was the inspiration for the façade of

Robert Venturi Robert Charles Venturi Jr. (June 25, 1925 – September 18, 2018) was an American architect, founding principal of the firm Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates. Together with his wife and partner, Denise Scott Brown, he helped shape the way that ...

's 1966 Guild House for the Elderly in Philadelphia.

Gallery

File:Anet 01 (RaBoe).jpg, Anet today File:Château Anet wiki.jpg, The portal File:Anet cour du château4.JPG, The park

References

External links

*
Official Château d'Anet website

, 1867, at the Kyoto University Library website {{Authority control

Anet Anet () is a commune in the Eure-et-Loir department in the Centre-Val de Loire region of north-central France. It lies 14 km north-northeast of Dreux between the rivers Eure and Vesgre, the latter flowing into the former some 4 km n ...

Châteaux with Renaissance gardens in France French Renaissance architecture Historic house museums in Centre-Val de Loire

Houses completed in 1552 1552 establishments in France Renaissance architecture in France Monuments historiques of Eure-et-Loir