1. CHATEAU DE BUSSIERE
Castle Bussiere is an exceptional property, a classified Historical Monument in Touraine,
tucked away in a hidden valley off the beaten track. The château dates from the 12th and
13th centuries and was transformed during the 16th and 17th centuries.
The castle was first mentioned in 1234, probable date of its construction, in the archives
of the city of Tours, and still has many traces of the 13th century. It was refurbished during
the Renaissance; its decorative elements reveal the magnificence of the period. Its name
comes from the “Marquis de Bussiere” of the Maussabre family, who lived there for four
centuries until 1936.

5. The main building has two round towers on either side, originating from the 15th century.
Galleries run from one to the other on two floors and with three arches; there is a
magnificent spiral staircase dating from the 14th century leading past the murder holes
from where the archers shot arrows with their crossbows.
In the East wing, the oldest one, there is now an office with a window which formerly
used to be the entrance via a portcullis. The ground floor has a superb gallery with seven
arches on one side and on the other, a series of reception rooms. The floors are covered with
ancient flagstones and the formal drawing room has a Versailles parquet floor with a “rose
des vents” design. All the reception rooms have Renaissance fireplaces.
In the 19th century, the chapel in which the famous French author Alfred de Vigny was
christened, was transformed into a white-stone main stairway which leads to the first floor
gallery that has a marble floor and bedrooms on one side.
The four large bedrooms have kept their former character with doors leading from one
room to another without having to use the gallery. The Royal suite, traditionally maintained
in case the King paid a visit, is separate in the West wing. On the eastern side of the gallery
are two bedrooms and a large suite. There are six main reception rooms, one of them with

6. the Versailles parquet flooring, a dining room, a “Chinese” sitting room (with a guest toilet
in a tower), a television room and an office. A large kitchen (part of it in a tower), a large
pantry, and a hunt (sitting) room with an exit. In this room, there is a trapdoor in the floor
(hydraulically operated) leading to the 12th century cellar and underground passages.
There are also stairs leading to a two-roomed apartment with a kitchenette, shower and
toilet, for the staff. In the basement, there is a boiler-room with two huge Wissman boilers,
a linen-room, toilet and exit.
On the first floor there are five bedrooms with four bathrooms, two shower-rooms, five
toilets, and dressing-rooms. The two bedrooms of the Master suite are separated by a
bathroom and dressing-room. The west wing consists of two bedrooms with bathrooms and
toilets, one large suite with a bedroom, sitting-room, dressing-room, shower-room, toilet
and kitchenette. The bedrooms and some of the towers have Renaissance fireplaces. The
attic is in perfect condition, with the ancient frame and the towers, the machicolations,
walkways and even facilities of the period!
Outside, is a 19th century building used as a garage for two cars with a comfortable 45-
metre apartment above. Stables containing two boxes are attached, behind is the pool-house
with a toilet, swimming-pool machinery and a heated swimming-pool with palm-trees along
a stone alley. There is a large stone table under the mulberry trees where one can have meals
listening to the fountain playing and drinking icy water straight from the source! The park
can be lit up at night; the huge entrance gate (surmounted with the crown of the “marquis”)
is opened and closed by remote control. The second stable has four large boxes, a hot-water
shower for the horses, a solarium, old-style tack-room and grooming quarters. The tennis-
court has temporarily been converted into a 40 x 20 metre outdoor riding school. An 18th
century farm, visible from the drawing-room windows, has been restored on the outside
only and has a 200 square-metre surface. At the bottom of the fields is a small lake fed by a
source (discovered in the Middle Ages). Water comes entirely from three wells connected to
a source dating back to the Middle Ages.
The property consists of thirty hectares (roughly 70 acres) of cleared woods and fields all
around the buildings. The chateau is situated in the southern part of the Touraine area 250
km from Paris one hour on the express TGV train and 55 minutes from Roissy airport. It is
one hour from both Paris and Tours Nord airports and the closest town is 5km away and has
an international school.