Demeure de la Vignole

Useful Information

Location:	Turquant. A85 exit Saumur, through Saumur center D947 to Turquant.
Open:	JUN to SEP Sat, Sun, Hol. [2007]
Fee:	Cave Suite double EUR 115. [2007]
Classification:	Cave House
Light:	Incandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:
Guided tours:
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address:	Demeure de la Vignole, 3 Impasse Marguerite d'Anjou, 49730 Turquant, Tel: +33-241-536700, Fax: +33-241-536709. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1450	manor built by the lords of La Vignole.

Description

This is a small hotel with fine rooms and one underground suite. The rooms are extraordinary, as they show a carefully restored rough rock face, not the plain walls of later excavations. Underground facilities include rooms for conferences, meetings or parties. The hotel is a complex of buildings in front of a cliff at the southern shores of the Loire river. The huge terace has a great view acoss the river. The cave dwellings are located at the foot of cliff behind the houses. The 18th century mansion is the center of the hotel. The nearby 15th century manor was built by the lords of La Vignole, and is said to have been home to queen Marguerite d'Anjou.

This is an 12th century quarry, the rocks were used for nearby castles, later transformed into cave houses. During the 19th century the caverns were abandoned and subsequently used for growing mushrooms. During the wars they were used as shelters by the locals.