Château du Moulin, Lassay-sur-Croisne, France

The castle of the Mill is located in the municipality of Lassay-sur-Croisne (Loir-et-Cher). It has been registered as a historical monument since January 6, 1926 and a ranking since the April 27, 1927.

The Le Moulin Castle belongs to the French community Lassay-sur-Croisne in Loir-et-Cher region Center-Val de Loire. The free-standing, rectangular-shaped moated castle, whose wide ditches are fed by the Croisne, was built in the period from 1480 to 1500 by the court architect Jacques de Persigny and extensively restored in 1947. After it in January 1926 in the list of monuments inscribed (in French inscrit) was followed on 27 April 1927, the classification (French classé) as a monument historique.

History
Built between 1480 and 1501 for Philippe du Moulin, friend of King Charles VIII and ennobled by the latter, to whom he had saved the life during the Battle of Fornoue in 1495. This stately home is the work of the architect of the court Jacques de Persigny. Built with orange and black bricks, on a rectangular plan surrounded by moats, its appearance as a medieval castle was more destined to mark the new rank of its owner than to provide a defensive function. The courtyard was once completely enclosed and surrounded by high walls.

Architecture
The iron-studded, oak gates of the entrance castle date from the time of the edification of the castle and were formerly protected by a drawbridge. Above the gate is the coat of arms of Philippe du Moulin: “D’Azur à trois Fasces d ‘Argent” (in blue three silver bars).

From the original castle, which was surrounded by a moat and ramparts with four corner towers, remained only the keep, the castle tower, the two entrance towers and a part of the ramparts, which are now covered, as well as at the time of Louis XIII. elevated tower.

Le Moulin is a good example of the combination of quarry stone and brick. The glazed bricks were added to patterns that were extremely popular at the end of the 15th century in the country estates on the Loire. The residential area is typical of stately residences of this time. A spiral staircase in a square tower leads to the living spaces distributed over several levels and to a dependance in the round half-tower built on the outer facade. At the foot of the residential wing is an elegant oratory in the flamboyant style.

Nowadays, there is the castle facing the entrance, the dungeon, the curtain and one of the towers that was enhanced under Louis XIII. Well maintained, it is still inhabited. His visit allows to discover some well furnished rooms. The vegetable garden was redesigned in the xx th century with plots of decreasing size, to give the illusion of greater depth; the Conservatory of Strawberry settled there.

Movies & TV
The site is regularly used as a location for filming historical films. From 1926, he was chosen by Jean Epstein to turn the outdoor scenes of his film Mauprat based on the novel of George Sand.

In the middle of the 1960s, the Château du Moulin serves as the setting for the television series Thierry la Fronde and in March 2011 for Le Roi, the squirrel and the Couleuvre.

Visit
The Mill of the castle is open to visitors from 1 st April to 30 September, 7 days 7 from 10 am to 12 30 pm and 14 pm to 18 30 pm.

The visit includes: the guided visit of the castle and the free visit of the strawberry museum, the garden and the exteriors.

Guided tours of the castle take approximately 50 minutes and are at 10:30, 11:30, 14:30, 15:30, 16:30 and 17:30.

Accessibility: the visit of the castle has 3 floors. The visit of the museum and the exteriors possible with an accompanying person.

Parking, shop and picnic tables 300 m from the castle,

Possibility to drive to the castle for people with reduced mobility.