18th century outbuildings

Employee comfort

In the 18th century, René-Simon Grandhomme de Gizeux built accommodation especially for them in the large outbuildings (left wing of the château).
Each of the servants had his or her own room, a definite advantage over other castles. At Gizeux, servants did not sleep in their place of work (the cook in the kitchen, the groom with the horses), they were entitled to their privacy, a very modern thing.

The kitchen

The kitchen, which was used until 1973, is a must-see room in the château. When Gizeux opened to the public, the kitchen could not be visited. The people of Gizeux village, many of whom had worked at the château, were very disappointed!

A group of village women took it in turns to polish the magnificent collection of copper saucepans now on display for visitors to admire. Turbotières, charlotte moulds, paraffin lamps and old waffle moulds decorate the place and whet the appetite …

Stables and carriages

The stables at Gizeux were built in 1743 at the request of René de Grandhomme. They were laid out by General de Contades in the 19th century. They now have four open stalls and two boxes.

Since their creation, these stables have housed horses until 2012. The chateau often needed these horses for its activities, some for transport, horse-drawn carriages and hunting, and others for ploughing and skidding timber. Today, these stables sometimes still house horses on a temporary basis.

Château de Gizeux also houses a permanent exhibition of vintage horse-drawn carriages. This and the stables are open to the public (in English and French).

Craftsmen at the château

For many years, the Château de Gizeux produced its own bread. It was equipped with a large oven, which is still used today for workshops for children.
You can find out more on “Activities for children” page.

A laundry room had also been designed for linen. A forge and a wine press completed the castle’s equipment, giving it almost complete autonomy.

Château de Gizeux was therefore home to a number of craftsmen, who lived there on a year-round or more occasional basis.