La Maison des Pages Charles VII

All days are equal, but some are more equal than others *.

We recently had the good fortune of meeting the poet, Camille Aubaude, who kindly showed us around her intriguing house in rue du Rocher des Violettes which is built into the cliff face.

According to oral tradition, it's known as La Maison des Pages Charles VII (The House of the Pages of Charles VII).

That's how it was advertised in 1986 when Camille fell in love with it and bought it **.

Its name presents something of a mystery. Not only did Charles VII not live in the Chateau, he was stony broke. It's highly unlikely he could afford bed and board for permanently hungry lads let alone build a house with stables and a boat house. He kept a bare bones Court in Tours. He even had to borrow tapestries to line the damp walls. He sent guests home following the wedding of his son because he couldn't feed them.

Pages came from noble families. They sent their sons to Court to learn royal manners.

Charles had none. He was not a good rôle model. He didn't bother to meet Princess Margaret, his new daughter-in-law who had travelled from Scotland to marry the Dauphin Louis. The next day he showed up late for the wedding in mud splattered riding clothes, still booted and spurred. As for Courtly protocol, he shocked France when he elevated the status of his young mistress to first lady. They had three daughters together.

As well as a good education, page boys were expected to be trained in horsemanship, hunting, hawking and combat, essential skills for men of rank. They were expected to play musical instruments and board games such as chess, to compose music, write songs and read and write poetry. It's highly doubtful Charles could be bothered to provide any of that for the Dauphin, never mind pages.

He was far more concerned with raising cash to establish a standing army to end the English invasion of his country. He paid mercenaries to fight for him. They had no loyalty to King or Country. If they were paid, they fought, if not, they left to ply their trade elsewhere.

Charles, or, more likely, his advisers, had the brilliant idea of recruiting franc-archers. Although they were not paid, there was no shortage of volunteers. Franc-Archers (franc meant free) were exempt from taxes, a key incentive.

The Queen and her children were another. Marie of Anjou lived in the Chateau with her son, the Dauphin and her daughters Radegonde, Catherine, Yolande, Joan, Joanna and Madeleine. Amboise was proud to play host to the royal family.

Besides, Amboise was strategically important. The never ending need to defend the Loire Valley against the ever encroaching English armies meant it had to be fortified.

Each parish equipped one archer with a crossbow, sword and dagger. Franc Archers, who received regular training, became a disciplined, flexible, dependable military resource.

Did Charles perhaps use the Tower in the House as a Look Out? In those days, archers probably had an uninterrupted view for fifteen miles or more.

If the House was for page boys, could it be in the time of, not Charles VII, but his grandson, Charles VIII?

Perhaps somewhere along the way the extra I fell off? Easily done.

Charles VIII surely needed pages. As Regent of France, his sister Anne of Beaujeu cobbled a Court together for him in Chateau Amboise. With him there was Margaret of Austria whose huge entourage was in keeping with her rank; his other sister Joan and her attendants; Joan's husband Louis of Orléans and Louise and Philibert of Savoy.

This would explain why they did not live in the Chateau. There was no room.

But back to 2025.

The House was built during the second half of the fifteenth century which makes it the oldest house in Amboise.

We were ushered into a large, attractive room (the only normal part of the house) which still has the original chimney flue and a bread oven so was probably a kitchen.

A few steps led up to a massive wine press. Was this once the winery for the Chateau?

The next surprise was the massive sculptures carved out of the chalk walls. Nudes seem to be enjoying a bacchanalian orgy with Dionysus (the god of wine) depicted by bunches of grapes and vines. There is also a dove of peace and a fleur-de-lis.

After that, a labyrinth. Rooms, rooms and more rooms.

The Tower has five storeys accessed by a spiral staircase. The newel post is a ship's mast.  Up, up, up again et voila! A park! Not any old park. This once had direct access to The Royal Court. 

The fact that the House has survived for almost six hundred years is nothing short of a miracle.

Amboise owes a debt to Camille Aubaude who had the courage to take it on and renovate this astonishing building. With poetic sensitivity, she cares deeply about this very special house. Because its chalk (tuffeau) walls and its timber frame are vulnerable she is concerned for its future.

The House is a museum dedicated to the work of Dr. Camille Aubaude.

* Apologies to George Orwell.
** We call it Camille's House.

Post by Pamela (BA History of Art). Photography by Mark.