Excursion Tours in France: Chateau de Commarennes

This is a castle that has never been sold in its six centuries of existence. Its architecture is a conglomeration of elements from different eras. Each generation of owners of Château Commaren, which takes its name from a village in Burgundy, has added something of its own. The Voguen family came into possession of Commaren in the 19th century.

The sun is reflected in the water surface of the ditches that surround the castle in a double ring. These ditches are a reminder that once upon a time, Commaren, whose doors are now open to the public who choose to take guided tours in France, was a fortress.

Only two round towers as well as a chapel and turrets on the edge of the property remain from the original building, erected in the fourteenth century. Commaren is a fortress that eventually became a castle. In 1530, Girard de Vienne rebuilt the right wing of the castle. The rest of the building continued to be altered until the 18th century. The château has never been offered for sale since it was built. Since Kommaren was often passed down through the family line, the family name of the owners varied, but most importantly, it always remained in the family. Until the 19th century, the castle belonged to the de Vienne family. The entrance is crowned by its motto "All Vienne". The eagle, the symbol of the de Viennes, towered over the bridge that once stood in front of the castle.

In the two centuries during which the de Vienne lived at the château, it changed dramatically. In the 18th century, the de Vienne family died out with the death of its last representative, Marie Judith. It was to her that Commarrén owes its modern appearance.

The large living room, arranged by Marie Judith de Vienne. It is the largest room in the house. Its area is more than 200 m2. Receptions were held in this living room and family heirlooms are now displayed here, as well as preserved parts of a triptych from the chapel of Dijon. Next to the fireplace are two portraits of Marie Judith. One of them shows her as a very young child. For most of her life, Marie Judith, who was widowed early, lived in this house all alone.

The bandstand was built to allow access to a room built 70 years later than the living room. The difference in levels is 1 meter. In the 19th century the bandstand began to be used as a theater stage, so there are fixtures for the backstage on the ceiling.

Sixteenth-century rugs are undoubtedly some of the most interesting exhibits at Kommaren, which can present guided tours in France. On them heraldic images coexist with alchemical symbols.

In the room we see carpets, each one woven at the beginning of the sixteenth century on the occasion of a wedding in the family. These rugs bear the coats of arms of the families de Vienne and Denteville, as well as alchemical symbols - arrows with their tips looking down, fountains with flowers or cones. The former is a symbol of seeking wisdom, the latter a symbol of fertility. On other carpets you can see an exploding globe. This sign symbolizes the spread of truth. The owners of Commarens, especially Girard de Vienne, were fond of alchemy. This accounts for the appearance of alchemical symbols on carpets. Alchemy is a secret science. It is not enough to see the symbols, you have to understand the meaning which the alchemists put into them. This is the main difficulty.

Marie Judith de Vienne's room. Without a doubt, it is the most important and most interesting room, because a real person lived in it. The room is located in one of the old towers of the castle. The walls here are more than two meters thick. Although it is a tower, the room has a rectangular shape. On the right is the bed of Marie Judith de Vienne. This is an extraordinary bed. It is itself a monument to history. When the castle was occupied by the Germans during World War II, this room was their headquarters. In order to take the bed out of here, they had to saw it down. Subsequently, the bed was restored from the surviving drawings.

Of particular interest when planning guided tours in France is a 16th century crucifix made in Italy. It is a walking version. It is enough to close the flaps and you can take it with you on the road. Much credit goes to Marie Judith de Vienne for furnishing an entire wing of the castle herself. She chose the finishes, ordered the carpets. The furniture was made according to her requests. She described the whole process so that we have a precise idea of how everything was set up.