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Le Choiseul is in the heart of
Amboise,
two minutes walking from downtown and the Chateau d'Amboise. The property is composed of three
residences from the 15th and 18th centuries. The stories of this group
of buildings are today intertwined, adding to the charm of the site: The
Maison de l'Ermite
(hermit's house) has rooms which open onto the Italian style garden and
the limetree lined alley. A
Calabrian hermit, Francis of Paola came to
Amboise
by orders of Louis XI and founded the Minim friars there in the XV
century.
The Maison du Duc
(duke's house) was offered to Etienne François, who was minister of
finance and of the armies, by Louis XV. This was before he became rich
and important and before he constructed a "Little Versailles", the
Chateau de Chanteloup,
a short distance from here. Today the
reception area, the bar and the restaurant of Le Choiseul are found in
the duke's house.
The Maison de
l'Apothicaire (the apothecary's house) in which
Jehan de Gastignon,
herbalist of Charles VII and of François I,
prepared creams and ointments for the ladies of the court. He received
from the king a large portion of the property, such as the wine cellars
and the "Greniers" (granaries) which border
the far end of the property.
The restaurant of Le Choiseul is one star Michelin, one
of the best in the region. 
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