THE TOUR DU LION
The flamboyant jewel of the Château de Meillant, the Lion Tower
is now open to visitors!
Château de Meillant is one of the most ornate historic buildings in France. Overflowing with details never chosen at random, this residence also tells its own story through the imprints left by the powerful families who have occupied it.
These traces of another time often require a double reading.
This tour will help you decipher the exterior and interior symbols of the Lion Tower.
117 steps and 20 metres later, you'll enter a small room known as the Astrologer's Room. Here you can enjoy a superb view of the park and the ornate roofs of the château, and try to decipher the meaning of mysterious frescoes that have yet to reveal all their secrets.
La Tour du Lion,
as seen by a bird
1510
In the early 16th century, Charles II d'Amboise modified the courtyard façade and created the Lion Tower, the only one of its kind. He had the tower and the high windows of the façade lavishly decorated, intertwining the ornamentation with the sculpture of his cipher, two interlaced Cs, and his coat of arms, the fiery mounts.
The Lion Tower, named after the lion that towers above it, was built as an hors-oeuvre and includes a spiral staircase in the Louis II style, marking the transition between the flamboyant Gothic and early French Renaissance styles.
a unique tower
of its kind
PRACTICAL INFORMATIONS
Opening times
-In low season, tours at 11.45 am on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.
-In July, tours are available every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 11.45am.
-In August, the tour is open every day at 11.45 am, except on Monday.
Prices
-Full price: €12
-Reduced rate (with proof of entitlement): €9
(Students under 26, unemployed, PRM, Pass Château de Meillant)
-Preferential rate (with proof of entitlement): €7
(Firefighters, veterans, military personnel, National Education and museums)
Tour details
-Tour lasts approximately 1 hour
-Please note that this tour is only available to people aged 12 and over and those in good physical condition (117 steps to climb).
- Small groups of up to 10 people, please book in advance.
-If you wish to take the classic guided tour followed by a visit to the Lion Tower, we suggest you take the reduced rate for the visit to the Lion Tower.
