Chambord, Chenonceau & Amboise - Very Royal Chateaux
I know it sounds crazy, but Jim and I had a quest. VISIT AS MANY CHATEAUX AS HUMANLY POSSILBLE WHILE DRIVING THROUGH THE LOIRE VALLEY FOR A WEEK. Who in their right mind would want to do this? Well, it was actually my quest….. my birthday quest, and Jim graciously gave in and acted as chauffeur and logistics expert, for which I will be eternally grateful!
For an art history nut, finally visiting the French chateaux I had been reading about for decades was a dream come true, particularly because most of them were not busy at all since we were traveling just off of the main tourist season. Traveling off season is pure bliss! No crowds, no heat, and the poor beleaguered chateau staff had recovered from the stress of tourist hoards and were for the most part, friendly and helpful and even tolerated my atrocious French accent!
You are probably asking yourself….. What is so special about another European castle? Well, what many people don’t know is that the Loire valley and its chateaux comprise the heart of where the kings and queens of France, after years of war, decided not to take their court back to Paris, but to remain in the valley along the peaceful Loire river and build a new court there. This was also where they first created a French nation and where French Royal Culture took flight. A place where the nobility and bourgeoisie merchants, newly rich from silks, cotton and spices from the Orient orbited the court and emulated the style of the king.
During our trip through the Loire we were enveloped by the beauty of the river valley, the winding watercourse old-fashioned villages, rustic farms, where cows, sheep and horses munched grass beside stone stables and grape laden vineyards rolled in neat rows away from the roads. These roads eventually lead to the magnificent architecture and formal gardens of the grand chateaux built during the 170 years that the kings of France chose to live in the Loire, one of the most resplendent periods in the history of France.
The chateaux provide a glimpse into the court life of the 16th century France, and the chateaux of Chambord, Chenonceau, and Amboise are luxurious examples of this life. Some like Chambord, were great hunting lodges where noble guests would ride across the kings private lands to hunt deer and boar. This beautiful Renaissance chateau was built between about 1517 and 1547 by Francois I who came to the throne when he was only 20 years old and was the first of many chateaux he would build during his reign.
For an art history nut, finally visiting the French chateaux I had been reading about for decades was a dream come true, particularly because most of them were not busy at all since we were traveling just off of the main tourist season. Traveling off season is pure bliss! No crowds, no heat, and the poor beleaguered chateau staff had recovered from the stress of tourist hoards and were for the most part, friendly and helpful and even tolerated my atrocious French accent!
You are probably asking yourself….. What is so special about another European castle? Well, what many people don’t know is that the Loire valley and its chateaux comprise the heart of where the kings and queens of France, after years of war, decided not to take their court back to Paris, but to remain in the valley along the peaceful Loire river and build a new court there. This was also where they first created a French nation and where French Royal Culture took flight. A place where the nobility and bourgeoisie merchants, newly rich from silks, cotton and spices from the Orient orbited the court and emulated the style of the king.
During our trip through the Loire we were enveloped by the beauty of the river valley, the winding watercourse old-fashioned villages, rustic farms, where cows, sheep and horses munched grass beside stone stables and grape laden vineyards rolled in neat rows away from the roads. These roads eventually lead to the magnificent architecture and formal gardens of the grand chateaux built during the 170 years that the kings of France chose to live in the Loire, one of the most resplendent periods in the history of France.
The chateaux provide a glimpse into the court life of the 16th century France, and the chateaux of Chambord, Chenonceau, and Amboise are luxurious examples of this life. Some like Chambord, were great hunting lodges where noble guests would ride across the kings private lands to hunt deer and boar. This beautiful Renaissance chateau was built between about 1517 and 1547 by Francois I who came to the throne when he was only 20 years old and was the first of many chateaux he would build during his reign.
Chateau Royal de
Chambord
photo montage
Others like Chenonceau were an architectural gem that was presented as a gift from King Henry II to his treasured mistress, Diane de Poitiers in 1547 only to be later taken back after his death by his vengeful queen Catherine de Medici. The rooms are sumptuously decorated with embroidered fabrics, tapestries and intricately carved stone and wood painted with bright colors and gilt. This castle was a place where expensive fetes were held, with roaring fires in the huge hearths, tables set with sparkling silver and sumptuous meals of oysters, fish, wildfowl, deer, huge decorative mounds of fruit and barrels of wine were consumed before an evening of music, fireworks and other lavish entertainments.
Chateau de Chenonceau
a gift for
King Louis II's Mistress
photo montage
Chateau Amboise is the sight of the last work of Leonardo Da Vinci, who was already old, but followed King Francois I from Italy to the Loire around 1515 and his tomb is in the chapel at Amboise. He spent his last years designing automata for court entertainment, fireworks and even engineered the great canal at the chateau.
Originally, owned by the Counts of Anjou who unfortunately for them, were found to be guilty of plotting against the king, from 1431 on the chateau belonged to the crown. Amboise was a beloved home for the royal French dynasty of Valois for several generations. Among the many royals who lived there was King Charles VIII, who was born at the chateau and lived there as a child. He loved the serenity of Amboise and it remained his favorite chateau all his life. Sadly, he died there from a terrible accident. While accompanying the queen through a gallery, it is said that he hit his head on a low door and died a few hours later. The final Valois family to make Amboise their royal residence was Catherine de Medici who lived there with her children and court during the reign of Henry II.
A walk through the rooms of these chateaux is like being transported back in time for a peek into what the lives of the nobility would have been like during these distant times.
Originally, owned by the Counts of Anjou who unfortunately for them, were found to be guilty of plotting against the king, from 1431 on the chateau belonged to the crown. Amboise was a beloved home for the royal French dynasty of Valois for several generations. Among the many royals who lived there was King Charles VIII, who was born at the chateau and lived there as a child. He loved the serenity of Amboise and it remained his favorite chateau all his life. Sadly, he died there from a terrible accident. While accompanying the queen through a gallery, it is said that he hit his head on a low door and died a few hours later. The final Valois family to make Amboise their royal residence was Catherine de Medici who lived there with her children and court during the reign of Henry II.
A walk through the rooms of these chateaux is like being transported back in time for a peek into what the lives of the nobility would have been like during these distant times.