The Lady of the Château

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The Lady of the Château

A magical château nestled in the southwest of France. Creative Retreats and Workshops.

21/09/2024

Welcome to all the Romantics and Dreamers joining this special corner of the internet.

My name is Julia and I love all things old, soulful and beautiful. Together with my partner Carolina, my sister Penelope and my incredible parents Maruca and Robert, we left our lives in California and moved to France in pursuit of all the things we think make life worth living- beauty, connection, time to create and self-express, love and sharing with others.

Join us here for inspiration from our enchanted Chateau as we discover what exactly makes France so magnetic, as we learn to achieve harmony in our multi generational household, as we develop our creative studio through stunning video and photography, and most importantly as we host people from around the world who want to take part in our very special experiences.

Here you will find all the ingredients to fall in love with who you are and create a life that you love.

Julia ❤️🏰

29/08/2024

Textures of Puy Vidal.

29/08/2024

Here, amidst the serene landscapes and echoes of history, our guests find sanctuary and belonging, welcomed by our family, esteemed instructors, and chateau friends.

Play and self-expression are the name of the game as we plunge into the week and by the end, there is a feeling of connection, beauty and newfound meaning.

This home and creative family in the French countryside awaits.

26/05/2024

We are delighted to share some stills from our May 2024 season-opening workshop led by the talented here at Chateau de Puy Vidal. It was a remarkable week brimming with exceptional art instruction and atmosphere. 🏰

21/05/2024

Join us at Chateau de Puy Vidal for a taste of what the artists are experiencing here at CHASING THE LIGHT- a week-long artistic immersion into the Impressionism Movement taught by artist Peter Keegan. He is leading our 11 attending artists into an in-depth exploration of Impressionist techniques, mindsets, and strategies. We have created an homage to Paul Cezanne in our Grand Salon at the Chateau, to create an atmosphere that immerses one into a different era.

If you are seeing this before the end of the workshop, please join us virtually by Painting Along with us and submit your finished work to by Friday May 24th at noon Paris time. Send us a photograph of your finished work, as well as your name and email address to admin@ladyofthechateau or post a photo in the comments to have your work considered in a competition judged by the workshop’s instructor and artist, Peter Keegan. He will award the winning selection a prize.

25/12/2023

Merry Christmas from all of us at Chateau de Puy Vidal!!!

We wish that you are filled with the Christmas spirit on this lovely day.

We had a lovely family Christmas- the first one with all five of us in France- and we have so much to be greatful for. A new culture to embrace, a historic home to care for and love, a new business to grow and believe in, and a wonderful community of fellow history lovers and old world seekers who make this whole journey feel even richer and more worthwhile.

Thank to you all of you for making it such a special year.

14/11/2023

The labyrinth at Puy Vidal boasts splendor at any hour and in every season. Yet, it's the tranquil early evenings, just as the sun begins its descent over the adjacent Bandiat Valley, when its magnificence truly comes alive.

In those fleeting moments before dusk, when the golden hues of the setting sun cast a warm glow upon the chateau and its surroundings, the labyrinth takes on an ethereal charm. The interplay of light and shadow across its winding paths creates a mesmerizing tapestry of beauty that seems to transcend time itself.

It's in these quiet, magical hours that wandering through the labyrinth feels like stepping into a realm of enchantment.

22/10/2023

October brings the incredible combination of the last resplendent blooms from the garden with the start off fireplace season:)

It is my favorite time of year, when we’ve reached the end of our vibrant guest season- the end of heat and long days, but it’s not quite winter yet. These days feel like that last glass of wine in the bottle after the party is over- beauty left in the year just for us. We get to relax and take in all the learning and growth of these past months, begin to plan the months ahead, and start to let a restful feeling of fufillment creep upon us.

We’ve made it through another year in this magical place we call home, and with each passing month it really is starting to feel like just that. Our home, the place we rest, the place we share, our new unbelievable incredible normal.

- Julia

12/09/2023

To my beloved Carolina on the day of her 36th birthday. I took this photo of you last week in the middle of our Painting Workshop.

We had spent the morning working very hard to bring all the elements into place for a very special portrait painting- an artist trained by a lineage coming from John Singer Sargent, an 18th century salon fitted out with canvas on the floor to protect from paint, an easel, a mirror to help the sitter watch the portrait, a platform to raise the sitter to eye level of the artist, an antique blue and white vase, a pink silken chair, and a very special guest of honor model. Blossoming classical music was floating in from the next room, the workshop attendees were trickling in to watch our workshop instructor start to take her first masterful brushstrokes, and I looked over and saw you in this pose.

In the midst of all the moving and thinking and logistics and helping people get from here to there, you are able to become completely still and lapse into a total reverie of appreciation for beauty.

Your gaze, your range for appreciation, your ability to flex to do whatever needs to be done with your whole heart, while never loosing sight of what’s really important- these are the qualities that made me fall in love with you, and keep on falling as I rediscover you in each new context and challenge.

It is my profound honor to be on the journey of life with you, to create this place of beauty and love together, and to see you grow and change in power and confidence with each passing year. Here is to an incredible 36th year of life my love.

- yours,

Julia

05/09/2023

Welcome to our official Paint Along live from the Chateau!!!!

These images are our official “The Lady of the Chateau’s Boudoir” still life set up composed by . It is meant to honor the intimate space of the Lady of the house as she takes a moment to herself to prepare, dress and ready for her day. Our Lady of the Chateau is an larger than life concept meant to honor the many women who have run this magnificent monument as a place of shelter, protection, defense, refuge, and home. Over the centuries the role of the Lady has changed and developed according to the needs of the era. Today her spirit welcomes and nurtures the creative spirit within all of us, encouraging it to blossom under her care.

Paint along with our workshop artists today, who are attending Retreat to the Chateau: A Painting Workshop from September 2-9th. We will be accepting submissions of your completed paintings via photo here on Instagram- either post it and tag us or message it to us or email it to [email protected]. submissions will be accepted until this Friday September 8th at 12pm Paris Time.

Johanna Spinks will be judging the submissions and we will be awarding a prize. We will also share all of the work submitted online alongside our on-site artists on our Instagram stories.

We hope you feel connected to this beautiful moment in time here in the Grand Salon of Chateau de Puy Vidal as you paint along with us. Tune into our livestream to watch Johanna Spinks as she paints this composition!

04/09/2023

Our Painting Retreat has officially begun!!! An absolutely inspiring group of people has assembled from around the world to reclaim, reinvigorate and renew their creative juices. There are 5 hours of painting per day taught by the incredible , balanced with rest, relaxation, beautiful meals and wonderful conversation. There is already magic in the air and we cannot wait to see the beauty that they create.

03/07/2023

VERY EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT!

We are thrilled to announce the details for the next Painting Workshop here at Chateau de Puy Vidal.

MAY 18-25th 2024
Taught by British-based artist Peter Keegan. This week is a dedicated study of Impressionism- the study of form, natural light, color and its effects on a single moment. Set during one of our favorite times at Puy Vidal - the end of May brings temperate weather, sparkling light, and the first blooms of summer. No setting could better evoke the dazzling palates of the greats - Monet, Sisley, Pissarro, Cézanne.

OFFICIAL LAUNCH is on WED JULY 5th- Registration will open on our website:

www.ladyofthechateau.com

Chateau rooms are limited. Book early!

30/06/2023

Step into a world where time stands still. As I walk through the archway of the chateau, a sense of quiet beauty envelops me, embracing my senses and transporting me to a bygone era. The gentle whisper of the wind carries tales of centuries past, and with every step, immersing me in the enchantment that lingers within these walls.

Under the warm embrace of the summer sun, the weathered gate stands as a stoic guardian, adorned with intricate details that bear witness to the passage of time. Its surfaces reflect the stories of those who have walked through before me, leaving an indelible mark on this place steeped in history.

The Chateau is immersive in it's allure, let its captivating charm whisk you away to where memories are woven into every stone.

22/06/2023

Days have gotten so long here that my walks happen after dinner now, the hot sticky day cools off but the bugs still cluster in swarms. A feeling of expansiveness swells all around. There is a hot hay and jasmine sweetness that hangs heavy over the fields surrounding the Chateau. Summer here doesn’t just stay on the outside, it soaks into you, leaving a deep memory.

09/06/2023

The weather here in the Charente is full of surprises. What started as a rainy gloomy Friday has turned into this magnificent early evening sun filled sky 😍😍😍

21/05/2023

The winter chill and gray skies have continued long into May this year, we are told, quite uncharacteristically. However this past week, we were granted the most beautiful of days, the sun absolutely illuminating the gardens and roses, peonies and poppies all blooming with the sudden turn to good weather. The horse chestnut trees are heavy with flowers and the forest has finally reached its fully filled in state- looming lush and verdant at the end of the gardens. We love capturing these swiftly passing moments with these beautiful images for us to savor and enjoy their loveliness longer.

08/05/2023

A Perfect moment in life

14/04/2023

The wisteria has blossomed while we were away this past weekend. It is so beautiful and vibrant that even of rainy spring days they are beautiful!

07/04/2023

Wishing you all a lovely Easter Weekend from all of us at Chateau de Puy Vidal 🏰❤️🐣🐰🐇💐

05/04/2023

Margaret of Angoulême intellectual powerful woman, sister and council of François the 1 st king of France

04/04/2023

Moonset moon at 7 am

02/04/2023

We are busy preparing for our very first ever summer season of guests! It is an absolute pleasure creating and testing all the beautiful ways to create loveliness- from table settings, flower gathering, recipe testing, location scouting, and game development.

All of these efforts are working toward the same goal. Each element is designed to combine and create a spell over each and every person to walk though our gates. This spell slowly and beautifully removes the layers of stress, tension, hardness, modernity.

A melting should occur over time, revealing the inner self- the state of being that is happy to just watch the birds flying by, the sun moving across the valley below, sip on tea and cucumber sandwiches and embrace a feeling that one finds most often in a period piece. But this state of being is not the exclusive right of the past! It can be here and now, with the right environment, good company, enough time, and most importantly an open attitude to let go…

23/03/2023

We’re starting to feel the beginnings of spring in the air… buds adorning the trees, daffodils popping up here and there.

With it brings a sense of tremendous relief from the cold of the winter. But even more than that we are finally crossing the one year mark since we moved in, and with it comes a sense of familiarity and safety. We recognize this season, the scents in the air, and can look forward with unabashed eagerness for the beautiful months to come. We are ready for you summer!

Address

Château De Puy Vidal

16110

Website

https://www.theladyofthechateau.com/

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We have always been inspired by the “country house stay” in Jane Austen novels. Groups of friends or relatives would gather together in large country estates for the summer, conversing, dining, playing games, visiting local villages. We invite all who come here into a similar universe- one where time just seems to slip on by like an unrushed river, the summer days stretching out forever. Dinners overlooking the valley, croquet games on the lawn and time spent in the hammocks in the parklands…. A week a Chateau de Puy Vidal is a step into another time. #chateau #france #frenchlife #castles #instatravel #painting #workshops #retreat #retreatyourself