Château de Poncé

An architectural ensemble classified as a historic monument and “Remarkable Garden,” the Château de Poncé features French and Italian gardens, a labyrinth and the striking Caroline Terrace.

Site History

The Château de Poncé is a stunning architectural ensemble classified as a historic monument and “Remarkable Garden.” The château was constructed starting in 1530. After four centuries in the same family, it was restored by new owners in the early 20th century. The château is particularly famous for its coffered staircase from 1542, its labyrinth and its gardens, including the Caroline Terrace, with its astonishingly original decor resembling that of an opera house or theater. A precursor of the troubadour Gothic style fashionable among the Romantics, the Caroline Terrace is connected with the work of Prosper Mérimée and more generally with the rediscovery of the Middle Ages, which had considerable repercussions in painting (Ingres, Delacroix), in literature (Ivanhoe, by Walter Scott, and Notre-Dame de Paris, by Victor Hugo) and in music. 

About the Project

The project will restore the Caroline Terrace, an architectural folly constructed in 1830 by Amédée de Nonant in honor of his wife. Built against a limestone cliff, the folly, made of brick and stone on three levels, measures 30 meters high by 80 meters across. Its beautiful ribs, balconies and battlements give it a monumental appearance. The central section collapsed in the 1980s, and its restoration is necessary to prevent the collapse of the entire edifice, which could endanger the château below it. The work involves securing the structure to the cliff against which it leans. The carved limestone decorations require extensive repairs, while important stones in the battlements and the rampart are threatening to collapse. Reconstructing the collapsed sections requires significant funds.

Château de Poncé Today

The Château de Poncé has been open to the public since its major restoration in the 20th century; today, it is an important stop on the route of the châteaux of the Loire Valley. In 2010, the new owners began another restoration campaign, with the aim of opening the site to contemporary art. The project includes the development of exhibition rooms in the 18th-century outbuildings, which host exhibitions in the summer. The village of Poncé-sur-le-Loir is also home to artisan workshops and the Centre d’art contemporain des Moulins de Paillard, which along with the château and its gardens draw artists and tourists to the area.