An American investor is putting up €3.5 million to restore the gardens of the Chateau of Chambord, the largest in France’s Loire Valley. The ancient garden has become a lawn over the years.
Stephen Schwartzman, head of Blackstone Properties, a private equity and hedge fund firm, says he wants to help France “at a time when we see that heritage is an issue for civilisation.”
The Chateau was built by François I in the 16th century, but the gardens were an early 18th-century addition by Louis XIV, who had a terrace built, and then filled it with formal gardens. The Chateau is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Photo: Calips/Wikimedia
About 15 years ago I walked from chateau to chateau, beginning at Chambord, ending in Chinon. I recall no garden at Chambord, Villandry was the garden place. So nice to know there may be one again in future.