Celebrating 100 years of the Chateau

I majored in French as an undergrad, worked as a server in the foreign language Dining hall in the basement of the Château my sophomore and senior years. After spending junior year in Paris through the Middlebury program there, I became Résidente of the Château for my senior year. As such, I had keys to the Petite Bibliothèque and would go there to have some privacy to study. I felt real pride in feeling like the guardian of the Château that year.

Our senior year we had a student who had actually studied cooking in Paris; he created a medieval dinner that took place in the Grand Salon with multiple courses over a long wonderful evening. Elizabeth Sandel ‘79

Living in the Château from sophomore to senior year in the mid 1970’s was a language-culture paradise for me. My friend Dunya (Deborah Smith) and I created lots of language-themed dinner parties, such as Russian with borscht and Kulich (Easter cake) and Spanish Fiesta with paella and empanadas. The most magnificent soirée was “Le Cinquantenaire” on November 8th, 1975 when we planned an entire evening in French with music, dance (le can can) and juggling. Stephen Freeman came and cut the huge cake with a replica of the Château on the icing. (Attached find program). Another memorable moment was when the châtelains won the Ice Sculpture Contest with an icy mosque (the theme was Arabian Nights). I loved not having to leave the Chat all day in winter, being able to take literature classes in La Petite Bib, and then go downstairs to an excellent lunch prepared by Eleonore and Bob. I also liked being a waitress in several different languages. In those days, we all thought we were polyglots. Mary Christi Rentsch Moraga BA, ‘76  MA, ‘77

First ACTING experience in “Orion le Tueur” directed by Claude Bourcier.. also participated in other French plays. I will try to attach photos later.
Member of LA CHORALE and a regular participant of Claude Bourcier’s Tuesday evening gathering in front of the Chateau to learn old French songs.
Organized festivities for French students leading them in singing, accompanying them with my accordion. Antonio Manganiello ‘74

I have very fond memories of Le Château during my years at Middlebury’s in the mid 80s. In Freshman year, I lived in Allen and regularly made the trek over to the Chateau in a bathrobe and slippers for breakfast. A little chilly and slippery in the winter. My senior year, I had a French class in one of the classrooms just before lunch, and a Economics class in the same room right after lunch. The dining hall was so perfect to pop down for lunch. The Grand Salon was a favorite place to escape to and do serious studying. I loved my time in the French department; the year I spent in Paris was truly life changing.
The building is such a beautiful part of the campus - many pictures in all seasons taken looking across Battell Beach. I look forward to seeing it again at reunion next spring. 
Charlotte (Lindsay) Maybury ‘86

When I graduated in May 1982,  as the resident in charge of the Chateau, I was able to secure rooms for all my friends and family attending from Quebec. I also coincide with my mom`s 45 th birthday. You can imagine the setting for an incredible weekend! Mario Barrette ‘82

I received my BA in French in 1980 so I was an undergraduate at Middlebury when the Chateau dining room featured language tables open for lunch with professors from every language seated at the tables to facilitate conversation. For breakfast sone Chateau residents would arrive in pajamas. The main floor was reserved for classrooms and the Directress who had an apt at one end.
The second and third stories were residential housing for students. In 1977-78, I lived in the right tower which was a double but my roommate spent most of the year with her
boyfriend in another dorm so I essentially had the room to myself.
That year we had a medieval costume party. I went as Joan of Arc. One of my friends and fellow Chateau residents wore my red bathrobe and went as the pope. His friend was visiting from Brown and he was a hunchback.
Stacy Nordquist ‘80