The Château de Chenonceau, or as it is sometimes called, the "ladies' château", is one of the most beautiful and romantic in the Loire Valley. It crosses the Cher River like a bridge - it seems to grow straight out of those slow waters. An amazing sight.
The history of the chateau dates back to the 13th century. From 1243 it belonged to the de Marck family. During the Hundred Years' War, the French owner placed an English garrison in the castle. The angry king ordered the fortifications to be torn down and the family had to sell the estate to Thomas Boyer, the financial intendant of Normandy. He demolished the old castle (except for the donjon) and built a new one.
The fate of the castle was already decided at the construction stage: in Boyer's absence his wife Catherine was in charge of the work. The corner towers surrounded the central volume with lancet vaults on four sides. The beauty of the castle did not benefit the family: in 1533 Francis I confiscated the property - officially for the financial sins of Thomas Boyer, in reality he wanted to get excellent hunting grounds. The king entertained a small circle that included his second wife Eleanor of Habsburg, his son Henry, his daughter-in-law Catherine de' Medici, the monarch's favourite Anne de Pisleux and his son's mistress Diane de Poitiers.
In 1547 the crown passed to Henry II and he gave the chateau to Diane de Poitiers in violation of the law. She redesigned the park and garden and planted artichokes and melons. It was Diane de Poitiers who undertook the construction of a stone bridge over the Cher River.
In 1559 Henry II died of a wound received at a tournament, Catherine de Medici became regent and took back Chenonceau. She organised glittering feasts here and laid out new gardens. In 1580, the architect Androuet Ducerceau built a new wing of the chateau with rhythmically alternating risalites (protrusions on the facade) on a stone bridge. The castle took on a modern appearance. On her death, the Medici gave it to Louise de Vaudemont, wife of Henry III. The latter wore white to mourn the king, which is why the widow de Vaudemont was nicknamed "the white lady."
In 1733, the chateau passed into the hands of the banker Claude Dupin. His wife Louise opened a fashionable salon, a theatre and a physics room. Madame Dupin lived at Chenonceau until she was ninety-three, surrounded by loving servants who kept the estate intact during the Revolution.
Since 1888, Chenonceau has been owned by the wealthy Meunier family. During the First World War, Senator Gaston Meunier set up a hospital for two thousand front-line soldiers. During the Second World War, the chateau, located on the border of the French territory unoccupied by the Nazis, became a liaison point for the Resistance.
Today, visitors walk to the chateau along a long avenue lined with old plane trees. To the right is the garden of Diane de Poitiers, with the Chancellery at the entrance, the sixteenth-century steward's house. In the corner of the Parade Courtyard stands the ancient donjon. In the lower floor of the castle there is the Hall of Guards with tapestries of the XVI century. In the picture gallery there are paintings by Rubens, Primaticcio, Van Loo, Mignard and Nattier. In the former royal stables there is a wax museum. It recreates scenes of love and jealousy that played out here hundreds of years ago.
On a side note
- Location: Château, Chenonceaux
- Official website: http://www.chenonceau.com/
- Opening hours: open daily, 9.30-17.00 in low season; 9.00-19.30 in summer. The ticket office stops working half an hour before closing time.
- Tickets: adults 12.5 euros, children from 7 to 18 years old 9.5 euros, children under 7 years old free of charge.
