|
 On
several occasions over the centuries, History (with a capital H) has had an
appointment with Chissay. Situated between Montrichard and Chenonceaux, this
former fortress was built under Charles VII for the chancellor of France
Pierre Berard, husband of Anne de Ronsard. As many royal acts mention,
Charles VII and Louis XI stayed here.
On 19 April 1513 Berard sold the estate to Philibert Babou, lord of la
Bourdaisiere, King's treasurer and superintendent of finances, for the sum
of 16,690 pounds. The chateau remained in the hands of the family then
passed to the Duke of Choiseul up to the eve of the Revolution.
Choiseul transferred Chissay to his friend Jean-Baptiste de Bue, a man of
merit and fortune who was to become acquainted with revolutionary prisons.
On his death in 1795, Chissay became the property of Marie-Jacques Gaigneron,
count of Marolles, allied by his mother to the Empress Josephine.For nearly
half a century, Gaigneron remained owner of Chissay and mayor of the commune.
The chateau underwent various fortunes, its architecture being added to over
the centuries by its different owners. Successively run by the Baron and
Baroness de Gartempe, then by their descendants the Costa de Beauregard, it
was the members of this family who, in June 1940, received Mr Paul Raynaud,
the head of the government who was to set up his headquarters here.The main
salon was the meeting place for political and military conferences. Chissay
received General Weygand, British Ambassador, ministers... liaising with the
President of the Republic 20 miles away at the chateau of Cange. On the 12th
June, General de Gaulle arrived at Chissay to present Mr Paul Raynaud with
his project for a Breton citadel. Unable to convince the head of government
that his strategy was the right one, he then flew to London at the same time
as the government was to head towards Bordeaux.
Chissay was at that moment witness to the dying throws of the IIlrd Republic.
On that day the future of France was determined behind the châteaux' thick
walls. The following day, the General de Gaulle launched his historic call
from London on the 18th June 1940. Montrichard was bombed on the 20th June
then, continuing their progression, the German troops occupied the banks of
the Cher and the Château of Chissay.
Renovated in 1986, the buildings are representative of the whole span of
Touraine architecture. Set in the midst of pleasant countryside, Chissay
resembles one of the chateaux that decorate the Book of Hours of the Duke of
Berry. Chissay is the ideal place from which to discover the marvels of the
Loire Valley. |
