Château de Villandry Labyrinth

Set on the second terrace, the labyrinth at Château de Villandry is formed of hornbeam hedges, known as charmilles. It is based on the designs of Renaissance gardens, in which the labyrinth was a crucial element.

It is a reference to the Labyrinth thought up by Daedalus to conceal the Minotaur, but it does not have the same meaning. The Greek Labyrinth was a place where men would get lost and endlessly search for a way out in the midst of ambushes and dead ends. In contrast, the Renaissance hedge maze was, in the Christian spirit, a place of progression, where the path taken by the walker symbolized the progress of life and the centre of the maze, on an elevated plane, stood for the encounter with God.

At Villandry, it is today an ideal place to relax. It is located next to the play area.

Fulfilling the wish of Joachim Carvallo, who in 1920 opened Villandry to the public so that the French people could enjoy this jewel of national heritage, the prices are among the lowest in the Loire Valley.