Château de Montréal
Encyclopedia
The Château de Montréal is a château
in the Dordogne
department located near the commune of Issac
, in southwestern France
. It overlooks the valley of the Crempse River.
The château
, was built in the 12th century and rebuilt in the 16th century. It is classified as an historical monument
of France. It is now a private residence.
on his expedition up the Saint Lawrence
River, and was with him on October 3, 1535, when he reached a village of the Iroquois
Indians called Hochelaga, on the site of the present day city of Montreal
.
The Pontbriand family built the château in its current form. They also built the chapel Sainte-Épine They modernized the double walls of the ramparts, which are very well preserved. and add the Renaissance style facade of the residence. The house is open for visits in summer- it is possible to visit the salons, which have a collection of portraits, and the circular library in the tower.
. The lower garden is in the Italian style, and features hibiscus
and yew
trees, and walls covered with white roses and white clematis
. The upper garden is a Garden à la française
, with ornamental flower beds and a topiary
garden. The garden was badly damaged by a storm in 1999, and has been replanted. The gardens are classified by the Committee of Parks and Gardens of the Ministry of Culture as one of the Notable Gardens of France
.
Château
A château is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor or a country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally—and still most frequently—in French-speaking regions...
in the Dordogne
Dordogne
Dordogne is a départment in south-west France. The départment is located in the region of Aquitaine, between the Loire valley and the High Pyrénées named after the great river Dordogne that runs through it...
department located near the commune of Issac
Issac
Issac is a commune in the Dordogne department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
, in southwestern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. It overlooks the valley of the Crempse River.
Château
A château is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor or a country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally—and still most frequently—in French-speaking regions...
, was built in the 12th century and rebuilt in the 16th century. It is classified as an historical monument
Monument historique
A monument historique is a National Heritage Site of France. It also refers to a state procedure in France by which national heritage protection is extended to a building or a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings, or gardens, bridges, and other structures, because of their...
of France. It is now a private residence.
History
Claude de Pontbriand, the Seigneur de Montréal, accompanied the French explorer Jacques CartierJacques Cartier
Jacques Cartier was a French explorer of Breton origin who claimed what is now Canada for France. He was the first European to describe and map the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the shores of the Saint Lawrence River, which he named "The Country of Canadas", after the Iroquois names for the two big...
on his expedition up the Saint Lawrence
Saint Lawrence
Lawrence of Rome was one of the seven deacons of ancient Rome who were martyred during the persecution of Valerian in 258.- Holy Chalice :...
River, and was with him on October 3, 1535, when he reached a village of the Iroquois
Iroquois
The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
Indians called Hochelaga, on the site of the present day city of Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
.
The Pontbriand family built the château in its current form. They also built the chapel Sainte-Épine They modernized the double walls of the ramparts, which are very well preserved. and add the Renaissance style facade of the residence. The house is open for visits in summer- it is possible to visit the salons, which have a collection of portraits, and the circular library in the tower.
The Gardens
The gardens were built upon the ramparts of the fortress at the beginning of the 20th century by Achille DuchêneAchille Duchêne
Achille Duchêne was a French garden designer who worked in the grand manner established by André Le Nôtre. The son of the landscaper...
. The lower garden is in the Italian style, and features hibiscus
Hibiscus
Hibiscus is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It is quite large, containing several hundred species that are native to warm-temperate, subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world...
and yew
Taxus
Taxus is a genus of yews, small coniferous trees or shrubs in the yew family Taxaceae. They are relatively slow-growing and can be very long-lived, and reach heights of 1-40 m, with trunk diameters of up to 4 m...
trees, and walls covered with white roses and white clematis
Clematis
Clematis is a genus of about 300 species within the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. Their garden hybrids have been popular among gardeners beginning with Clematis × jackmanii, a garden standby since 1862; more hybrid cultivars are being produced constantly. They are mainly of Chinese and Japanese...
. The upper garden is a Garden à la française
Garden à la française
The French formal garden, also called jardin à la française, is a style of garden based on symmetry and the principle of imposing order over nature. It reached its apogee in the 17th century with the creation of the Gardens of Versailles, designed for Louis XIV by the landscape architect André Le...
, with ornamental flower beds and a topiary
Topiary
Topiary is the horticultural practice of training live perennial plants, by clipping the foliage and twigs of trees, shrubs and subshrubs to develop and maintain clearly defined shapes, perhaps geometric or fanciful; and the term also refers to plants which have been shaped in this way. It can be...
garden. The garden was badly damaged by a storm in 1999, and has been replanted. The gardens are classified by the Committee of Parks and Gardens of the Ministry of Culture as one of the Notable Gardens of France
Notable gardens of France
The Remarkable Gardens of France is intended to be a list and description, by region, of the over two hundred gardens classified as "Jardins remarquables" by the French Ministry of Culture and the Comité des Parcs et Jardins de France...
.