CHATEAU ET JARDIN DE BOURNAZEL

Private Renaissance castle listed as a Historic Monument. A major building in southern France with its innovative architecture and remarkable sculpted decor. Its gardens are listed as Remarkable Gardens.

This beautiful Renaissance castle, located between Rodez and Villefranche de Rouergue, built between 1540 and 1560, has been the subject of a major restoration campaign with in particular the restitution of the large monumental staircase whose core is composed of superimposed cabinets and undertaking a decoration identical to the original. On the main facade, windows, pilasters, columns, pediments and friezes balance each other rigorously, while on the other wing, references to Antiquity appear more openly (large arcades and twin columns). Inside, a large collection of paintings, furniture and sculptures from the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries. 

The garden: fruit of a long work in archives and a campaign of archaeological excavations, the restoration of the gardens of Bournazel offers a coherent example of composition carried out between 1542 and 1561. Enclosed garden comprising nine flowerbeds themed on the education of a wealthy prince and the enigma of life, fountains, vases, polyandrion, chamber gardens with hornbeam partitions, orchard, "Hortus Conclusus", labyrinth, arbours and terraces, pond, whose symbolic, literary organization and intellectual reminiscent of the ambitions of the Renaissance. It was recently listed as a Remarkable Garden.

Visit of the interior only by guided tour. Approximate duration: 1 hour.

Free visit of the garden.

Average time spent on site: 2 hours

After-hours private guided tours are available year-round for groups of 20 or more.

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