The Chateau de Cormatin

Mimi and I asked Marie-Annick to join us on Friday for our visit to the Chateau de Cormatin. It had been a long time since she had seen it. 

I’ve been there at least 3 other times on previous visits. I decided to do the inside tour once again, though I find the gardens to be far more interesting.

Waiting for Marie-Annick meant that we started the tour around 3 PM, after Francis would be home from school with the car.

When this was built, an open stone staircase, using arches instead of walls to carry the load, was a new invention.

This is the room you wait around in until invited into the bedroom where socializing took place.

Mimi is reading our guided tour in English.

No such thing as just a wall...

Beds were so short even my feet would stick out.

All that hanging material is for warmth, not privacy.

The walls were hung with wool in the winter and silk in the summer.


Notice that candle sticking out from the wall? I figured the candle holders were unique enough for their own picture...

This was a really snazzy chateau because there was another, smaller room for smaller gatherings when the bedroom became too busy with people.

I got a chuckle over the padded potty seat...

 The kitchen was the plainest room, though Mimi commented that her Revere Ware never looked like the wall of hanging pots...

 Guest quartrs are a little less ornate...but do include tapestries on the walls...

 The private chapel within the chateau...

There was a jail in the cellar

The chateau centuries ago before a fire took off a roof

Cormatin today...missing a main section floor and left wing....

By the time we finished looking at the house, it was too late to wander around the gardens. Mimi and I had promised to go with Elisabeth to a review of the cultural events that are coming to Cluny during the next year because this was to be followed by a free concert. We had to be ready by 5:30PM.

wine cellar

We agreed to return to Cormatin Saturday afternoon to walk the gardens. Marie-Annick was able to get our tickets marked so we wouldn’t have to pay again! The gardens will be in another post. 

We sat with Elisabeth through 2 hours of French, or at lest Mimi sat through the 2 hours of French. Apparently I sleep quite well sitting upright. Then wine in glass glasses along with hors d'oeuvres were served out on this courtyard. 

Some of us then headed upstairs where an orchestra from Dijon turned a ho hum evening into marvelous! For over 2 hours they were obviously enjoying themselves and so was their audience. We had super seats at eye level with no one in front of us! I could do that evening again and again!