Chateau Villette
The library in Chateau Villette, where The Da Vinci Code's Sir Leigh Teabing reveals the "truth" about the Holy Grail to Sophie Neveu. Photo courtesy of Chateau Villette.
Chateau Villette is a 17th-century French mansion in Villette, just 30 minutes outside Paris. Already a popular place for luxurious overnight stays, receptions and meetings, the Chateau has gained new popularity as one of the settings of the book and movie The Da Vinci Code.
Far from shying away from all the unexpected publicity, Chateau Villette's caretakers have begun hosting 6 day/5 night Da Vinci Code Tours of Paris using Villette as a high-priced base.
If you can afford it, what could be better than exploring the Louvre and Saint-Sulpice (and doing a little shopping) by day, returning in the evening to discuss all the mysteries in the very same place Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu did, then retiring to your 17th-century bedroom for a good night's sleep?
Read on to learn more about Chateau Villette and how you can experience it for yourself.
Chateau Villette enters the plot of The Da Vinci Code book in chapter 52. Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu have just fled Paris in a Smart car and have arrived at Chateau Villette to seek sanctuary and answers from Robert's friend, English art historian Sir Leigh Teabing.
It is at Chateau Villette that Robert and Sophie learn the true identity of the Holy Grail. The action then continues with a surprise discovery in the hayloft of the chateau's barn and the escape of the characters through the chateau's extensive grounds.
Scenes for The Da Vinci Code film, which comes out May 19, 2006, were filmed on location at Chateau Villette.
What to See
Chateau Villette was built in the late 1700s by Jules Hardouin Mansart. The landscaped grounds were designed by the Sun King's personal gardener Andre Le Notre, who also designed those at Versailles.
The chateau is an elegant, 17-room spread set amidst 185 acres of gorgeously landscaped grounds, complete with lake, swimming pool, tennis court, hunting grounds, and a Neptune-themed fountain similar to the one at Louis XIV's Chateau Marly.
The 17 bedrooms were all renovated (but with original antique furnishings) in 1999-2000, and a gourmet kitchen was installed in 2001. The largest bedroom is the Fairthorne, which is decorated in earth tones and features an open fireplace, a park view, a bathroom with bath, a four-poster king-size Gainsborough divan bed and an additional single bed.
During their stay, guests of the chateau have access to two service kitchens, a gym, a billiard room and a banquet room. Each room includes a wireless Internet connection. Outbuildings include the horse stable of Da Vinci Code fame, a spacious chapel and adjacent reception room, and greenhouse.
Quick Facts
Prices are available only on request, bien sûr, but a five-day stay in one of Chateau Villette's bedrooms will set you back about €3,000-5,000. You can also rent the entire place if you wish.
The chateau's Da Vinci Code Tour Package costs €3,900-4,300 per person and includes:
- 6 days, 5 nights stay in a deluxe bedroom at Chateau de Villette.
- Daily breakfast, a welcome dinner and a farewell dinner, all at the Chateau.
- Visit to the Louvre’s Denon Wing; including Grand Gallery and Mona Lisa.
- Lunch at The Hotel Ritz where The Da Vinci Code book started.
- Visit to Saint Sulpice.
- Tour of Champs-Elysees and the Bois de Boulogne.
- Shopping trip and restaurants in Paris.
- A group session to discuss “The Da Vinci Code” and watch the related documentary movies.
Tours of the chateau cost between €35-95.
See The Da Vinci Code map for a larger map of all Da Vinci Code sites.
More Information
- Chateau de Villette - Official site, with photos and description plus Da Vinci Code tour information
- Fodor's Travel Wire - "Chateau Villette: Da Vinci Code's High-Priced Pit Stop" (June 7, 2005)
- Beautiful Places: Vacation Homes of Distinction - "Chateau Villette" - information and reservations
- French Connections UK - "Chateau de Villette: Luxurious Chateau in 500 Acres" - information and reservations
