Centre des monuments nationaux

Come and appreciate the charm of Bouges chateau and its refined, 18th-century atmosphere in the heart of the Berry region. Its elegant architecture is matched by the outstanding furniture that was carefully selected by the last owners of the château.

Visiting Bouges chateau

• The charm of a country residence. The chateau feels as if it was still lived in, with bouquets of flowers from the garden adding much to its charm. Most of the deliberately sober furniture dates from the 18th century.

• The art of carriages. The former poultry yard has magnificent stables created in the early 20th century, two tack rooms, and a collection of luxurious horse-drawn carriages.

• A perfect garden for strolling around. French-style gardens with box hedges are laid out around the chateau, and 80 hectares of English-style grounds designed by the landscape designer Achille Duchêne in the early 20th century are set around a lake.

Understanding Bouges chateau

• A copy of the Petit Trianon in Versailles? In 1759, Charles-François Leblanc de Manarval, an ironmaster and director of the Royal Manufacturer of Cloth in Châteauroux, had the chateau built in freestone. The Italian layout is attributed to Jacques-Ange Gabriel.

• A careful reconstruction. Henri Viguier, the director of a Parisian department store, and his wife Renée bought Bouges in 1917. She was an elegant society figure and tastefully redecorated and refurnished the chateau, and her husband, a keen horseman, had work carried out to modify the outbuildings. They bequeathed the property to the State in 1968.