Château Gaillard

The Royal Estate of Château Gaillard is a 15 hectares paradise of greenery located in the heart of the city of Amboise. It is the forgotten Paradise of the Renaissance in Touraine. On his return from Italy in 1496, young King Charles VIII fell in love with Italian cities and palaces and decided to recreate a "Paradise on Earth" at Château Gaillard in Amboise. In order to fulfill this dream, he convinced 22 Italian artists to come back with him to Amboise. Dom Pacello, the most famous gardener in 1500, was also part of the team. He planted the first gardens of the French Renaissance at Château Gaillard and acclimated the first orange trees in France. After 5 years of intensive restoration carried out by 50 artisans and craftsmen from the Loire Valley the castle is now open to the public.