Valencay Attractions

The Château of Valençay, set in a large park, lies to the southwest of the little town of that name (pop. 2,900). It was built in 1540 by Philibert Delorme, architect of the Palace of Fontainebleau. It was acquired by Talleyrand, Napoleon's foreign minister, in 1805. It shows a variety of styles: the main wing is influenced by the Italian Renaissance, while the two-story side wing is Baroque. Only this wing is open to the public; it contains a gallery of portraits of Talleyrand's ancestors, Empire furniture, a small collection of porcelain and a Talleyrand Museum. West of the château is an Automobile Museum.
Vast grounds make place for splendid royal gardens, and many visitors of great esteem have traveled here, thus making the château more of a royal court than a country manor.