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Sometimes the most surprising thing about a place isn’t what’s visible but what was hidden. Out here in the slow heartbeat of the French countryside, people don’t shout to be remembered—they preserve, they endure, they survive. If there’s any place that captures that spirit best, it’s Château de Jizu, a castle that once hid its soul behind a false wall for over a century, only to reveal it untouched, vibrant, and very much alive. If you’re a castle lover or someone who believes beauty deserves to be remembered, this is Saving Castles—and this is part one of Château de Jizu.
Stephanie Deafon, whose family has lived here for over 200 years, welcomed us into the mysteries of the château. Her husband’s family has been here since 1786—before the French Revolution. The château itself unfolds in three acts: one built to defend, one built to impress, and one built to serve. The entrance tower and wall date back to the 14th century, though the structure doesn’t look medieval anymore. During the French Renaissance in the 16th century, the owner transformed it. Then, during the Revolution, parts were destroyed—not the wall, but the interior, as revolutionaries came and wrecked everything.
After the Revolution, the château became part of a farm, with hay stored on the first floor and cows on the ground level. By 1970, Stephanie’s grandfather, a farmer, decided to stop maintaining it. Without upkeep, the roof deteriorated, and a storm 20 years ago left it exposed. They’ve since added a temporary roof to prevent further damage. Inside, the rain destroyed the floors, leaving the space unsafe to walk through.
The part where the family currently lives, including guest rooms, dates to the French Renaissance. In the 16th century, the family lived on the second floor while guards, kitchen staff, and servants occupied the first. By the mid-18th century, the family moved downstairs, preferring cozier rooms. They built a large extension with stables and servant quarters, including workshops for a blacksmith, baker, and winemaker. Around 100 people lived and worked at the château during that time.
Château de Jizu is the longest château in Trin, measuring 250 meters. It also includes expansive forests—about 1,000 hectares, mostly woodland. The estate was gifted in 1786 to Julie Constantine de Laori upon her marriage to Louis Gabriel de Contad and has remained in the family ever since. The family crests at the entrance reflect this lineage. One crest, dated 1685, predates the family’s arrival, added during a wedding to suggest deeper roots.
The first room on the tour is La Galerie François Premier, visited by over 12,000 people annually. We saw it before the season began, in silence, absorbing its Renaissance-era paintings. The Duble family, known for their cultural ties, once lived here. One member married a princess from the town of Ifs in Normandy. They sought a courtly lifestyle and hired Italian painters to decorate the château. Though many paintings were destroyed during the Revolution, this room survived thanks to a young woman who asked villagers to build false walls and ceilings to hide the artwork. These remained in place for nearly a century, preserving the vibrant colors.
The hidden room was rediscovered when Stephanie’s grandfather, as a boy, accidentally made a hole in the wall and saw the colors beneath. The room features the name of the princess—M and Y—repeated throughout, but never her husband’s, suggesting her prominence. Bouquets of tulips appear in nearly every painting. Tulips were rare and expensive during the Renaissance, symbolizing wealth without words.
Another theme is drawn from Ovid’s Metamorphoses. The family found a book of engravings in a museum that matched the château’s paintings. Originally, the château may have featured all 100 scenes from the book; today, about 40 remain. The fireplace in the room was restored in the 19th century and bears the salamander emblem of Francis I. Though the château never belonged to the king, he visited twice—perhaps briefly, but enough to earn the honor of displaying royal symbols.
Eventually, the château was sold to a widow named Role during the reign of Louis XIV. She preferred the countryside to Versailles and invited an art school to work on the château. The Gallery de Château des Rois, a 400-square-meter hall of 17th-century murals, was their masterpiece. It’s the largest of its kind in a private home in France. The painters created views of the château and other royal residences, including Chambord, Vincennes, Fontainebleau, and Versailles. Some scenes are imaginative, with altered landscapes and exaggerated features.
The gallery served as a corridor between the medieval and Renaissance wings, not a living space. It was built for wonder, with no fireplaces, encouraging slow passage and reflection. The students specialized early—some painted only marble, others trees, animals, or architecture. Their work shows varying skill levels, from naïve to refined. One amusing detail is a hunting scene where all the animals share the same pose, copied from the master’s original.
The gallery also features trompe-l’œil techniques, creating optical illusions that place the viewer in the center of a garden from any angle. This was the most advanced technique taught at the school and considered the masterpiece of the gallery.
And this is only the beginning. In part two, we’ll explore the grand salons, the hunting room, the quiet cellar, and the restoration of the chapel. If you’re enjoying the tour, subscribe and join us for the next chapter of Saving Castles.
Thx!