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CONCIERGE
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THE
TOMATO CHATÊAU
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by HEATHER STIMMLER-HALL
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Hotel owner Prince Louis Albert de Broglie’s passion for heirloom tomatoes not only blossomed into a mission to conserve the planet’s biodiversity, but it has also contributed to the success of his historic property in the heart of France’s Loire Valley. In 1991, Louis-Albert bought the 14th-century Château de la Bourdaisière and transformed it into an elegant yet cozy bed and breakfast. Fascinated by the historic walled kitchen gardens on the grounds, he began a humble conservatory for the heirloom tomatoes collected during his travels around the world. It soon grew into the largest tomato conservatory of its kind, with more than 650 varieties in red, pink, green, yellow and even black – the Prince’s favorite. The daily tomato tastings and bi-annual gardening festivals attract a large public to the château, where Louis-Albert gently educates them on the importance of preserving the planet, with organic gardening tips and open-air photography exhibitions on the themes of biodiversity and conservation.
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He also reaches a wider public through his stylish Prince Jardinière boutiques, which carry high-quality gardening tools, furniture, heirloom seeds, accessories, and a beautiful coffee-table book, "Tomates d’hier et d’aujourd’hui" ("Tomatoes from Yesterday and Today"), with colour photographs of the many different tomato varieties. For the next step, Louis-Albert has begun an ambitious three-year eco-renovation of the château to turn it into an example of how a historic monument can be carbon-neutral, energy-efficient and economically sustainable at the same time. "Other château owners think it would cost too much, but we expect the renovations to improve our business," states the Prince. The renovations are expected to be completed in 2012. |
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