Azay-le-Rideau Castle hosts Calder from 15 October

Azay-le-Rideau Castle (Château d'Azay-le-Rideau) in Azay-le-Rideau is presenting Calder in the heart of France from 15 October 2026 to 25 April 2027. The Centre des monuments nationaux and Centre Pompidou have brought Alexander Calder's monumental sculpture Reims Croix du Sud into the castle's landscaped park.

Calder in the heart of France runs until 25 April

The exhibition forms part of the fourth edition of the AR(t]CHIPEL festival, which places Calder works in fifteen cultural venues across the Centre-Val de Loire region. At Azay-le-Rideau, the organiser is presenting Reims Croix du Sud in an outdoor setting beside the Renaissance monument.

The official programme gives the exhibition a fixed run from 15 October 2026 to 25 April 2027. The installation is included in the monument visit, and the castle's operator says the sculpture is displayed in the park and accessible to people with reduced mobility. A programme page for the Calder exhibition identifies both the dates and the venue.

Reims Croix du Sud was made by Calder in 1969 and was first presented in Reims in 1970. Its title refers to that city, while its present location connects a twentieth-century work designed for open air display with a French Renaissance building and its surrounding park.

Reims Croix du Sud meets a Renaissance setting

The sculpture is seven metres high. Its structure combines a black pyramid with a large balancing element carrying red and blue forms, surrounded by four black right-angled triangles.

The castle was built during the reign of Francis I by Gilles Berthelot, the king's financier. Its two wings were raised in the early sixteenth century, while the building acquired its present form through nineteenth-century work led by the Marquis de Biencourt.

That history gives the installation a specific architectural context. Calder's sculpture stands in the landscaped park created in the nineteenth century, rather than in a neutral gallery, while the castle's Renaissance character includes later additions that shaped the appearance visitors see today. The regional tourism listing also records the exhibition dates, the park setting and the title of Calder's work.

The French state bought the castle in 1905. The Centre des monuments nationaux now manages the site and opens it to visitors, making the outdoor work part of a visit that also includes the historic building.

Visiting Azay-le-Rideau Castle: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• Calder in the heart of France runs at Azay-le-Rideau Castle from 15 October 2026 to 25 April 2027, with Reims Croix du Sud in the landscaped park.
• The sculpture is presented outdoors and is accessible to people with reduced mobility, while the exhibition is included in the monument visit.
• The site is at 19 rue Balzac, 37190 Azay-le-Rideau, in France. The town is served by the SNCF Tours-Chinon line, and the station is accessible on foot.
• The visit combines park paths with the castle interior. The building's north facade contains a straight staircase, while the sculpture itself is seven metres high in the park.
• French is the official language and the national currency is the euro.

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Frequently asked questions about Azay-le-Rideau Castle

When does Calder in the heart of France take place at Azay-le-Rideau Castle?

The exhibition runs from 15 October 2026 to 25 April 2027 in the landscaped park.

What is Reims Croix du Sud?

It is a seven-metre-high outdoor sculpture by Alexander Calder, made in 1969 and first presented in Reims in 1970.

Where is Azay-le-Rideau Castle and how do you get there?

The castle is at 19 rue Balzac in Azay-le-Rideau, France. The town is served by the SNCF Tours-Chinon line.