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The Château de Cheverny, one of the first private residences opened to the pu- blic in 1922, has belonged for more than six centuries to the same family, the Hurault de Vibraye.
Their descendants, the Marquis and the Marquise de Vibraye, still live in a wing of the residence and have a real passion for its history. Each year, they welcome 450,000 visi- tors to the park and gardens to the rhythm of the Château’s illuminations for events such as Christmas and its magic.
On September 18, 2022, the Château will celebrate the centenary of its opening to the public. Life in Giverny is intense with its horticultural events such as the Baptism of the Tulip or the Plant Festival, cultural events such as the Jazzin’Cheverny or sports events with its Marathon.
Cheverny is known for its huge park and its six gardens, the Jardin de l’Amour, the Jar- din des Apprentis, the Vegetable Garden, the Labyrinth, the very recent Jardin Sucré and the Jardin des Tulipes.
More than 350,000 tulip bulbs are planted by hand by seven gardeners and their assistants forming a ribbon of 250 meters long and 12 meters wide. Between the end of March and April, red, orange, pink, purple and yellow tulips bloom to the delight of visitors.
The park has a wide variety of century-old trees from around the world, redwoods, lime trees, cedars of Lebanon, cedars of the Atlas, pines from Corsica and Calabria and cypresses from Louisiana. The forest part can be visited by electric cars and the canal by boat.
The plan of the domain has of course undergone modifications over the centuries and only ruins of the initial fortress built in 1500 remain.
During the reconstruction of the castle, large corner pavilions, topped with domes with stone decoration in superimposed lines have been built.