Chateau Saint-Aubin (France)

The morning rays illuminate the ancient slumbering park. In the cold winter sun, the white walls of Château Saint-Aubin on the Loire awaken. This Burgundian-style mansion was built for a gentleman named Charles Jean Baptiste de Galois de La Tour, the first president of the parliament of Aix-en-Provence. Louis XV, dissatisfied with local parliaments, which were weakening the influence of royalty, dissolved them in 1770. Galois de La Tour returns to his native land. For six years he builds this magnificent château, which captivated Christin Van Riel two centuries later.

The architecture of the castle is typical of the second half of the 18th century, the era of Neoclassicism, which began in Europe in 1758. Under the influence of the excavations in the ancient cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii, the subjects of antiquity became very popular. The interest in the Rococo and Rocaille style gradually waned. The style, first called Neo-Greek and later known as Neoclassicism, came back into vogue. A distinctive feature of this style is the strict straightness of lines, perfect symmetry and the presence of details such as pediments and columns. All reminiscent of the classical architecture of ancient Rome and Greece.

The building of the castle impresses with its majestic appearance. The central building with its strict forms is adjoined on both sides by two symmetrical structures.

The lobby was renovated two years ago. In all likelihood someone during the war dismantled and burned off some of the wooden wall trim. Only the double door and the one above it were left. The rest of the decorations had been lost. While carrying out restoration work, the masters relied on authentic documents of the XVIII century. There are a lot of interesting things in them. Modern man does not know some curious details about the life of that time. For example, at that time servants lived not in outbuildings, not in the annexes, but directly in the chambers of masters and guest apartments. The dressing room has a place for the servants' beds. A lot of work is needed to recreate the wooden panelling in the apartments and bedrooms. In some places, the panels have partially survived and have been used as samples. If the trim had been lost, it was recreated according to old sketches. The grisaille above the door leading to the dining room was not there before, but Kristen decided it went very well with the grayish shade of marble in the niche. This grisaille was done by a French artist in the eighteenth century. His name was Pierre Savage. He also created many grisaille designs for doors in Compiègne, near Paris.

The floor in the lobby was finished with ceramic tiles. The manor was often hunted, and when hunters returned, their boots were muddy, their dogs were soaked, and blood dripped from the game. It was not practical to lay parquet here. Therefore, the floor in the lobby and adjoining rooms, where hunters could go immediately after the hunt, such as the dining room, was covered with tiles.

In the dining room hunters liked to gather to taste their prey. A special room for eating appeared in the second half of the eighteenth century. And the first dining room in Versailles dates back to 1750. It was fitted out for Louis XV and was called Exotic Hunting. Before, the dining table was set in the living room, in the gallery or even in the bedroom. In the provinces, the dining room was a rarity. This mansion was built in 1770, and a special dining room for hunters was arranged in it. For this reason, various subjects reproducing hunting scenes were used in the decoration. The fragments above the door are badly damaged by time and have not been restored, but you can see images of dogs, various game and ducks. The owners did not have the opportunity to invite talented artists from Paris or Versailles. Local painters copied the subjects from engravings made by famous Parisian masters Jean Baptiste Audrey or François de Porte.

The general plan for the restoration of the castle was to fully restore the dining hall. However, the side buildings had to be repaired first in order to house the family's collection of portraits. A total of 80 of the 140 portraits in this collection are on display.

So far it has been possible to restore 30 rooms at Château St. Aubin. There are 20 more to go. Kristen Van Riel will do her best to breathe life back into this ancient building.