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Chateau Bourdaisiere

The Chateau de la Bourdaisière is a castle in the countryside in the Commune of Montlouis-sur-Loire[?], in the Indre-et-Loire département of France.

Its origins date back to the 14th century when it was a fortress belonging to Jean Meingre. Over the next few generations, the property changed hands several time, until 1520 when King Francois I arranged for construction of a new castle on the site. Built for his mistress, Marie Gaudin, the wife of Philibert Babou[?], Superintendent of Finances for France, after her death, the property would remain in the family's hands.

- Château Bourdaisière-

Marie Gaudin's granddaughter, Gabrielle d'Estrée, was born in the chateau and would herself grow up to become mistress to another king, Henri IV of France.

In 1775 the chateau was partially destroyed by order of King Louis XV's most powerful Minister, Étienne François[?], Duc de Choiseul. Étienne François wanted to use the stones from Chateau de la Bourdaisière for the construction of his Pagoda at his estate in Chanteloup, near Amboise.

Laying in ruins, in 1786 the land was sold to Louise Adélaïde of Penthièvre Bourbon. In 1802 the property was acquired by Baron Joseph Angelier who undertook a massive reconstruction of Château Bourdaisière. The interior work would be completed by his son, Gustave Angelier. Although a small château, when compared to the great châteaux of the Kings and some of those built by other wealthy nobles, it is a magnificent Renaissance construction fronted by traditional French gardens.

The Castle was sold in 1923 to a wealthy American, Mrs. de Mérinville who sold it in 1938. During World War I, the château was occupied by the Nazis. After the war, a lack of funds by its owner saw it become severely run down. In 1959, its contents were auctioned off and government turned the chateau into a home for the elderly.

It was sold in 1988 to an attorney, François Michaud, who owned it until 1991 when it was acquired by its current owners, the Princes of Broglie who undertook significant improvements and modernization. In 2003, Chateau de la Bourdaisière gained considerable attention in North America, as the primary site for the televison show, Joe Millionaire[?].