Description of the attraction
La Laurie Castle is located in western France, in the Loire region. It was built in 1632 and belonged to the city judge (provost) Rene le Pelletier. At that time, the building consisted of only two parts, but subsequently it was repeatedly completed.
Le Pelletier was not the owner of the castle for long - due to debts, he passed to his son-in-law. His descendants held high positions at the court and gradually turned this small castle into a truly royal palace. Particularly large-scale works were carried out in the middle of the 18th century, when the owner of the castle received the title of Marquis de Laurie. Then huge stables and other utility and service premises were completed, as well as two more wings were erected, where the castle chapel and the so-called "marble hall" of 1780, made on the example of the same hall in the Palace of Versailles, were located. In the middle of this luxurious room was an expensive chandelier, and the building itself was crowned with an elegant dome. The room has preserved antique Parisian furniture from 1779. It is worth noting that this was very bold on the part of the marquis, since the personal residences of even such noble persons were not decorated in this way, this was the exclusive prerogative of the reigning monarch.
In the middle of the 19th century, the Duke Fitz-James, a descendant of the Marquis de Laurie, lived here. He also decorated the castle with special luxury, but soon squandered and in 1886 was forced to sell it to the Marquis Saint-Genis, whose family has still lived here for more than a hundred years.
At the beginning of the 20th century, new reconstructions took place in the palace - in 1904, the living room of the 18th century was converted into an art gallery, since Saint-Genis was a famous collector of ancient artifacts and works of art. Another living room, completed in 1730, was decorated with elegant wood paneling.
The palace is surrounded by the so-called "regular" park, characterized by a geometrically verified layout, which is typical for the gardening art of France. In such parks, special attention is paid to the future. On its territory you can find many graceful flower beds and topiary - figuratively trimmed trees and shrubs, and several artificial ponds were dug here. The arrangement of the park was completed in the middle of the 18th century, when the owner of the palace was the Marquis de Laurie.
Since 1750, a horse farm has been operating on the territory of the castle, and 10 kilometers from it there is a hippodrome where horse races take place. The castle is open for tourist visits during the warm season.
