We are fortunate enough to live in a part of France that is reknown for having 1,001 chateaux.Hence we were very happy to read that one of our favourites is in the list of the top 20 chateaux to visit in France.Chateau des Milandes is a fabulous place to spend the day and as with most chateaux, it has an interesting history.One of it's previous owners was Josephine Baker, the famous American caberet club owner & singer. She was a member of the French resistance and a anti-racist activist.Josephine took every opportunity and used her fame to fight racism, for her, there was only one  race: the " human race?.In 1961 that she was awarded the Legion of Honour by Général Valin ? at Château de Milandes.She rented the chateau for 7 years before purchasing it in 1947.In 1947 she married Jo Bouillon, a famous orchestra conductor, in the chapel at Château des Milandes. They first met in 1933 at a gala in Belgium. They crossed paths again during the second world war when Jo agreed to participate in a charity tour that Josephine had organized.The two shared the same dream to found a ?Global Village, the Capital of Universal Fraternity? to show the whole world that children of different nationalities and different religions could live together in peace.Josephine?s love for children was inexhaustible, to the point that, once back from her tours, she immediately launched into making Milandes a paradise for children in need, and especially those in need of lov...