Omaha daily bee., 1909-06-13
CHATEAU TO Be SHOW PLACE
Langeais Will Be Turned Over to the
French Nation.
IT'S PART IN FRENCH HISTORY
Famous Medieval Stronghold Re-
comes virtually Public Property
-Restorations Erected by
Its Owner.

PARIS, June 5.-Every travelling Ameri-
can who has visited the romantic chateau
country Of France will be interested in the
announcement that by the death Of
Jacques slegfrled, the famous Chateau de
Langeais. long occupied by him as a resi-
dence, passes to the Instltut de France and
will no longer be a will o. the wisp for the
tourist.
During the life Of NJ. siegfried visitors
were only admitted to the chateau during
the absence of the family. and as the
family had a keen appreciation OF the
charm and beauty Of the place they were
never long absent from It. Consequently
Langeais has come to have an interest as
being invested with some degree of mys-
terry.
{ IDEAL as show Place.
From the tourist s point Of view, Ian
geais is ideal, for It not only has the ruins
OF one OF the earliest donjons or keeps in
all France, the Fulk Nerra tower. dating
from 900, but It has the added charm of
being actually lived in. Just what ar
r%angements will be made for the tourist
now that the chateau has become virtually
public property a not yet been an
nounced. As is the case with various
other Of these historical con-
trolled by the I%nstltut, It will probably be
open at all times to visitors, with proper
precautions taken for preserving the
charming decorations and furnishings,
which it took M. siegfried and his adviser,
NJ. Lucien Ray. a Paris architect, more
than twenty years to collect.
The restoration and furnishing have been
strictly after the Gothic style of the mid
die ages. There has been no attempt to
make a museum of the place, nor, on the
other hand, has It the baroness of the
show rooms Of the ordinary historical
house. The effort throughout has been I'd
reconstitute a h~abitation OF the fifteenth
century.
The decorations have been copied from
contemporary pictures and prints, while
the furnishings for the most part are con-
temporary with the building itself. There
are great oaken beds. benches, chairs
tables and chests, while at the same time
there are everywhere those little touches
SO dear to the sightseer that show that
real people live there-a late magazine
lying on the table, perhaps, or a scarf OF
latest Partisan fashion thrown carelessly
over a chair in which Anne OF Brittany
may have sat. The whole atmosphere Of
the chateau is that OF a place whose
greatest glory is in the past, but which
exists today as a peaceful luxurious house
hold.
Home for the Summer. 4
To the casual visitor, Eangeais appeal
more as a summer than a winter residence
The enormously thick walls, in man.
places as much as twelve feet through
made for GOODNESS, while the windows
although there are many OF them, admi
on account of their great depth, so littl
light that many of the rooms are in
constant state OF twilight gloom.
Although there are enormous fire place
in all the looms, yet they are of the kin,
that would afford more comfort to person
perched on tie roof near the huge chin
neys, than to the people in ne gres
salons and chambers they are supposed t