Château de Meslay

Château de Meslay was built for Jean François de La Porte (farmer-general for 50 years and a close friend of Cardinal de Fleury) during a gigantic project that lasted 3 years: demolition of the old château (where Henri IV stayed during the siege of Vendôme), relocation of the village to its current location, and creation of a cotton fabric factory that sold its products all the way to the Court at Versailles. Visitors to the château will discover magnificent reception rooms with exceptional furnishings, a rare gnomon (solar calendar) inlaid on the parquet floor and 400 m² of spectacular vaulted cellar kitchens. A film on the history of the château, videos, sound effects and a hologram will punctuate your visit.
A self-guided tour of the grounds (with a visitor's guide) allows visitors to discover the magnificent site of the château's terrace, with its century-old hedges overlooking the Loir valley and the park. In the outbuildings, visitors can see how the estate was run in the 18th and 19th centuries, with a complete dovecote (turning ladder and stone bolts), the wine-pressing room and its 17th-century stone apple crusher, the saddlery with its harnesses bearing the family numerals, and a large family collection of horse-drawn carriages signed by the greatest coachbuilders of the time. All the objects on display (over a thousand) come from the château's family collection. A film traces the history of the château and the 11 generations who have lived there since 1719.