Today was a rain out with morning showers and enough wetness to stay off the bikes. We have a growing list of off day activities but touring Milandes was at the top. It is only a short ride from the house so by noon the rain was gone so off we went.
There is no shortage of castles and chateaus in the area - or as I say there is one on every corner. The original structure dates back to the later 1400's built as a retreat by the François de Caumont family who was also the lord of Castelnaud. Over the centuries it was a place of palace intrigues with mysterious deaths, assassinations, and too much to list in this post. Suffice to say that if you build it from stone it will last a very long time. Over the centuries it was expanded, restored, and saved from the wrecking ball in spite of disrepair.
Aside from its storied history its second coming was when the American singer Josephine Baker fell in love with the place. Born in Saint Louis in1906 she quickly became a local celebrity due to her beautiful looks and extraordinary performing talents. Although poor at birth her fame brought affluence, especially for a black entertainer during the era of racial oppression for anyone with "a drop" of black blood. Here mother was black and father of Hispanic origin.
Like many of her contemporaries she could perform on stage but was excluded from sitting in the "whites only" audience. Paul Robson was famous for his rendition of "Ole Man River" in the controversial Broadway musical "Showboat". He left America for the Soviet Union and Ms. Baker chose France as her adopted home. She was as adept at singing French tunes and dazzling the crowds in Paris.
Her life in France had many twists and turns as a celebrated performer, resistance fighter, and cherished humanitarian. Although she did not have any children of her own she was passionate about adopting infants from many corners of the world. She turned the Chateau into a melting pot of cultures and nationalities.
As is often the case when her fortunes dwindled she saw her privileged life of opulence and celebrity turn into a final chapter of poverty and decline. Unable to support her life style she saw her beloved house and worldly possessions auctioned off for a fraction of their worth. Her health declined along with her fortune and died in 1975 in hospital after lapsing into a coma. She was 68 years old.
Fortunately, a wealthy family bought the place and was able to restore it and open to the public in the first decades of the 21st century. The chapel was the last building to be restored revealing original religious murals, stained glass windows, and the discovery of a burial crypt below the floor of the sanctuary. A number of bodies were identified as those of the original 15th century family members.
We entered through the entrance gate for our tour of the grounds, surrounding gardens, and interior of the residence.
The majestic façade shows the original tower along with new wings which were added over the centuries.
A layout of the grounds shows the chateau, surrounding gardens, and out buildings including the restored chapel. At one time the entire surrounding village was part of the estate (not depicted here) which housed the extended family and staff. Josephine's brothers ran the boulangerie and gas station. Ironically, there is no mention of any of her adopted children still affiliated with the property or area.
The embedded restaurant helps fund the operation and provides a delightful place to relax and take a break from touring.
The extensive lunch menu had many items to choose from ...
but our choices were simple.
A rare burger and fish and chips to share. Everything comes with frites, even the frites come with frites. The protein was there to rationalize a double order of pom frites.
Unfortunately taking photos of the interior was prohibited so we will have to remember all the family photographs, furnishings, and decorations. Kim posed outside the chapel in order to capture the facade.
The gardens with boxwood hedges surrounding the water features. May not have been up to Versailles' spender and opulence but ideal for a stroll.
Since so much was added over the years it is hard to tell what was the original chateau or constructed years later. Much of the additional space was added during Baker's ownership to accommodate her extensive family and modern conveniences like contemporary bathrooms and 20th century kitchen.
The primary out building was the chapel which was meticulously restored to its former grandeur accompanied by an audio guide and extensive state of the art videos highlighting the restoration process and step back in time to its origin.
