Issue No. 13

The Chateau de Brissac is a privately owned home that had been in the same family
since 1502 – May 26th to be precise! It was bought by a French lord by the name of
Brissac and it’s lived in today by his descendants. Set in gorgeous grounds in the town of
Brissac-Quincé, located in the département of Maine-et-Loire, Loire Valley, this chateau
is the tallest in France at a whopping seven stories - a folly of towers and chocolate box
pretty. Janine Marsh visits and chats to home owner the Duke de Brissac…
Chateau Life
The current incumbent of this enormously
tall chateau that's been handed down a
long line of an illustrious family is the
Marquis du Brissac, a charming man who
often comes from his apartment on the
upper floors to greet visitors and tell them
a bit about the castle.
"My parents did most of the hard work
here, restoring and renovating" he says
modestly. He takes his responsibility to
this big house seriously and constantly
stresses what an absolute joy it is to be
able to live in the chateau.
His generation, he and his wife have four
children, is the first to live there full time.
Previous family members lived there only
part of the year. In days gone by the Dukes
of Brissac would follow the French royal
family or live in other homes around France
and especially in Paris.
"There are many good things about living
here" says this amicable Duke, "one of
them being that the town is on the
doorstep and it’s a lovely town where you
can find a friendly bar with great beer!"