Les Caves Painctes are underground wine cellars carved into the tuffeau limestone beneath the Royal Fortress of Chinon. Originally quarried in the medieval period, they were converted into wine storage in the 15th century and have remained largely unchanged since. The writer François Rabelais, born near Chinon in the 1490s, drew direct inspiration from these cellars for the "Temple of the Divine Bottle" in his Gargantua and Pantagruel.

The Painted Cellars — Planning Your Visit

Ticket Prices

Guided Tour with Wine Tasting

Recommended

Available July-August only (Mon-Sat at 11:00, 15:00, 16:30, 18:00). Includes guided tour of the underground cellars and complimentary Chinon wine tasting. Tours in French, English, and Spanish. Outside summer: group visits by appointment only.

€6

Free for:

Children 0-16

In day plans, the recommended ticket is pre-selected and included in the total price.

The name "Painctes" is an archaic French spelling of "peintes" (painted), referring to paintings or markings historically found on the cave walls. The spelling dates to the 16th century and has been preserved as a nod to the Rabelaisian era.