Château d'Anet Castle

Château d’Anet is a French Renaissance château in Anet, Eure-et-Loir, built in the mid-16th century for Diane de Poitiers and principally designed by the royal architect Philibert de l’Orme.

Visitors encounter classical Renaissance architecture, sculptural decoration by Jean Goujon and the château’s formal entrance and landscaped setting. The Fountain of Diana and sculpted reliefs are among the site’s most noted ornamentation and were conceived as part of the original ensemble.

The château was commissioned and constructed between the 1540s and 1550s for Diane de Poitiers, mistress of King Henry II, and has since been altered, dismantled in part during the French Revolution and restored or modified in later centuries.

The property sits in the commune of Anet in north-central France, in the Eure-et-Loir department, roughly west of Paris and within the historic Dreux-Anet area.

• Renaissance patronage: Constructed for Diane de Poitiers in the mid-16th century, the château is an important example of French Renaissance architecture and retains sculptural work by Jean Goujon.

What to See#

• Fountain of Diana: A sculpted fountain group executed by Jean Goujon forms a principal decorative ensemble and originally served as a focal point in the formal entrance court.
• Main château: The main château block was designed by the royal architect Philibert de l’Orme and built in the mid-16th century, incorporating classical Renaissance proportions and ornamentation.

Located in Anet, Eure-et-Loir, roughly 50-70 km west-northwest of Paris depending on route. By car via the A13/A12 motorways; regional trains to nearby Dreux with a short taxi or bus transfer to Anet.

• Combine a visit with the nearby Château de Dreux and other Loire-Brittany estates for a fuller day.
• Inspect the château's courtyard columns for delicate Renaissance stonework that survives from the sixteenth century.
• Confirm opening hours; private ownership sometimes modifies public access.