Les Tourelles: Histoire des châteaux de France, volume II

Through elegant prose the listener is guided across the grand halls and sun‑drenched courtyards of France’s most storied châteaux. The narrative begins with the flamboyant court of Louis XIV, where Nicolas Fouquet stages an extravagant fête at Vaux, inviting dignitaries from Italy, Spain and England. Amid the glitter of silk and the clatter of carriage wheels, the book paints a picture of baroque ambition and the delicate politics that swirled around each palace stone.

Interwoven with the architectural tour are vivid travel scenes that bring the era to life. On a slow, heat‑laden journey toward Villejuif, the witty Gourville and the affable Marshal Clairembault pass the time with a lively card game, their banter revealing the customs, humor and hardships of 17th‑century travel. Listeners hear the creak of wheels, the hum of summer insects, and the subtle tension of a wager that costs half a hundred pistoles, all while the distant splendor of the royal banquet looms.