Château du Rivau

Lémeré, France

Open to visitors

The interior is normally open, possibly ticketed.

Strollie cannot guarantee access — always check before you travel.

Find out more

Château du Rivau is a Renaissance castle in Lémeré, Touraine, built beginning in 1445, and classified as a French monument historique since 1918. The estate gained prominence during the Hundred Years' War when Joan of Arc visited in 1429 to procure horses, the château being renowned for its quality war horses. In 1510, François de Beauvau, captain to King Francis I, constructed celebrated stables in the courtyard's outbuildings that supplied royal stallions and later served Henry III. The château was immortalized in Rabelais' *Gargantua* as a reward bestowed on captain Tolmere for his victories in the fictional Picrocholean Wars. Following decades of decline, the castle underwent restoration beginning in 1992 under new ownership, stabilizing both the structure and its associated winery.