Fall 2022 highlights at château d'Ainay-le-Vieil

Many of you came to discover the various back-to-school events in a friendly, festive atmosphere. Your comments encourage us to continue in this vein, and we're already preparing next year's program.

The first Rencontres Musicales du Château d'Ainay-le-Vieil

The most beautiful projects are made through encounters. Through a mutual friend, we met conductor David Molard Soriano. Music was then naturally invited to Ainay, giving birth to the "Premières Rencontres Musicales du château d'Ainay-le-Vieil" last August.

For three days, David Molard Soriano, his guests and the Rencontres orchestra took us on a musical journey through the walled gardens of the Chartreuses, along the Renaissance canals and into the heart of the magnificent Salle des Archers. With over 300 spectators, 15 musical events and 40 artists, this festival aims to build bridges between secular heritage, the public, music, theater, local artists and young French artists.

It was a moment that delighted the audience, and we look forward to seeing them again for the second edition of the "Rencontres Musicales du Château d'Ainay-le-Vieil" from August 17 to 20, 2023.

European Heritage Days

The European Heritage Days took place on Sunday September 18, on the theme of "Sustainable Heritage".

Il fut abordé à travers deux conférences :
Une première donnée par Richard Duplat, architecte en chef des Monuments Historiques qui nous a compté la passionnante restauration du château d’Ainay-le-Vieil et notamment du corps de logis Renaissance. Les amoureux du patrimoine présents ont posé de nombreuses questions. Une expérience qui se renouvellera certainement au fur et à mesure de l’évolution des travaux qui se poursuivent jusqu’en 2025.
Au cours de la seconde partie, Madame Annie Badower nous a parlé de « La Forêt de Tronçais, ses chênes, ses légendes, ses fonts et ses forges ». Une passion qu’elle a su partager et qui a poussé les participants à cette conférence à découvrir ou re-découvrir ce patrimoine précieux à sauvegarder.

Colloque Colbert, Saturday, September 24

Ainay-le-Vieil tells the story of France, as the château or its owners have always been close to power and have participated in the events that have shaped our country. Ainay tells the story of France through its walls and family memories, notably those of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, minister to Louis XIV, Emperor Napoleon I, and the three generals of the Empire: Edouard, Auguste and Alphonse de Colbert. It was therefore only natural to organize a symposium to highlight the role played by the Colberts in the history of France, in the politics of their time and in the art that served political power. 

This symposium was organized by Marie-Sol de La Tour d'Auvergne and Dominique Brême for the scientific part, who called on high-level speakers:

• Joseph de Colberthistorian
• Nicolas Sainte Fare GarnotDirector, Jacquemart-André Museum, Paris
• Dominique BrêmeDirector of the Musée du Domaine Départemental de Sceaux, Hauts-de-Seine, France
• Bénédicte GadyCurator, Department of Graphic Arts, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris
• Céline BarbinHeritage Curator, Musée du Domaine départemental de Sceaux, Hauts-de-Seine, France
• Alexandre GadyUniversity Professor, Director of the Musée du Grand Siècle, Hauts-de-Seine, France
• Loÿs de Colbertfounder and board member of the Colbert Foundation
• A fascinating day during which these scholars succeeded in showing, through the Colberts, the extraordinary richness and creativity of the arts in the 17th century.

And to (re)listen to all the Colloque Colbert lectures, visit our YouTube channel.

Sculpture garden at Château d'Ainay-le-Vieil expands

This year, Daniel Hourdé's monumental bronze sculptures took over the remarkable gardens of Château d'Ainay-le-Vieil for the entire 2022 season.

They strolled along an enchanting path in and around the rose garden. Daniel Hourdé deals with Hell and Paradise, the greed of man whose vanity is limited only by his own finitude, nature and the myths that build us... but a miracle is always possible. Daniel Hourdé thus enters the collection of Arielle and Hervé Borne, owners of the château d'Ainay-le-Vieil.

The choice of work was a difficult one, finally settling on "Dans la Gueule du loup", which adds a new dimension to the château's sculpture garden. A masterful sculpture, highly representative of Daniel Hourdé's work.