Our recent trip to Castelnaud-La-Chapelle (24250) included a visit to Château des Milandes and the nearby Éco-Musée de la Noix.
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| Château des Milandes |
The longtime home of legendary jazz singer Josephine Baker is a popular tourist destination for visitors to the Perigord Noir. For those like myself who don’t know a lot about Baker, I’d recommend some advance research; visit the museum’s website
here or allow time at the beginning of your visit to read the very thorough Château des Milandes visitor’s guide.
Baker is famous for her comedic singing, sensual dancing, and splashy sequined and nearly nude costumes. The American performer arrived in Paris at the ate of 19 in 1925. Paris was hungry for “colored” performers, and Baker soon gained fame (and fortune) while performing in the Revue Nègre at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées.
Her desire to help France during World War II, led to her stint as a spy for which she was awarded the Medal of the Resistance, the Legion of Honour and the Croix de Guerre.
Baker was a notable voice for civil rights. She also adopted 12 children of various races and nationalities, whom she referred to as her “Rainbow Tribe.”
Baker first visited Milandes in 1937 and purchased the 15th century château 10 years later. She lived there until 1968, and she died in Paris in 1975.
Today, visitors to Château des Milandes can see a sizable collection of her costumes, a dozen authentically decorated rooms, and countless photographs and memorabilia from this fascinating woman’s career and life.
The château grounds include a chapel, gardens, gift shop and brasserie restaurant.
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| Château des Milandes |
Visitors can also check out the
chambres of some of Milandes’s other residents: majestic birds of prey including an American eagle named Cheyenne. Hawks, falcons and owls appear several times a day in a 30-minute
spectacle de rapaces dans le jardin.
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| A falcon performs at Château des Milandes. |
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| An eagle resides at Château des Milandes. |
Château des Milandes is open April through 11 November. The 9.20 euro admission for adults (less for youth and disabled) includes the birds of prey show and gardens.Visit the chateau’s excellent website,
www.milandes.com, for more information.
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| View from the garden of Château des Milandes |
If you’re planning to picnic during your visit to Castelnau-la-Chapelle, you may want to bring along some food, as the small boulangerie in the village ran out of sandwiches. But we improvise with quiche and fruit, and head to our next stop, the Éco-Musée de la Noix, where we eat our makeshift lunch at a shaded table before we begin our visit.
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| Éco-Musée de la Noix |
I’m a sucker for small family-owned museums or working farms that showcase food production. (Well, everyone needs a hobby or two.) Hence, I was eager to visit Éco-Musée de la Noix or eco-museum of walnuts. The setting is idyllic: a restored farmhouse adjacent to rolling hills and a lovely walnut grove. Our visit began with a well-produced documentary about the Ferme de Vielcroze and its all-natural production of walnut products, particularly its organic walnut oil, or d’huile de noix bio.
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| Éco-Musée de la Noix |
The rest of our visit was somewhat less entertaining. Although pleasantly appointed, the museum itself is a series of displays and posters that require a proficiency in French and a desire to read, rather than merely enjoy, the exhibits. Outside, however, the mill is interesting and the walnut grove is a pleasant place in which to stroll.
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| Éco-Musée de la Noix |
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| Éco-Musée de la Noix |
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| Éco-Musée de la Noix |
Éco-Musée de la Noix is easy to find; just follow the signs in Castelnaud-la-Chapelle. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day from April through 11 November. Admission is 5 euros for adults, 4 euros for ages 10-17 and free for children younger than 10 years old. For more information, visit
ecomuseedelanoix.site.voila.fr.
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