Video: Château de Sully-sur-Loire

The Château de Sully-sur-Loire is a castle, converted to a palatial seigneurial residence, situated in the commune of Sully-sur-Loire, Loiret, France.

The castle originally belonged to Georges de la Trémoïlle, who infuriated Joan of Arc by encouraging the Dauphin to devote himself to idle hunting in the forests around Sully. After Joan’s failure to liberate Paris in 1430, de la Trémoïlle imprisoned her in the castle. In the 18th century, Voltaire, exiled from Paris, also spent time at the château.

The château of Sully-sur-Loire is a superb example of a medieval fortress with its high towers and moats. The moats are still full of water diverted from the Sange River. It was built at the end of the 14th century on a site which has dominated one of the few crossing points of the River Loire. The keep, dating from 1400, has one of the finest chestnut roofs anywhere along the Loire. The carpentry of the garrets is a work of art by master carpenters of the Orléans region.

The most famous of the château’s proprietors was the first Duke of Sully (1559-1641), who was the Grand Minister to King Henri IV. The castle remained in the Sully family for four centuries. The young Louis XIV and his mother Anne of Austria took refuge here in 1652 as they fled the insurrection. Voltaire was exiled here in 1719 for his immoderate taste for satire. Today, exhibitions and theme entertainment are held here each year, as well as a music festival.