Our first Chateau

Spanning the languid Cher River

atop a supremely graceful arched bridge,

Chenonceau is one of France's most elegant châteaux.

The interior is decorated with rare furnishings

and a fabulous art collection.

This extraordinary complex is largely

the work of several remarkable women

(hence its nickname, Le Château des Dames).

The initial phase of construction started in 1515 for Thomas Bohier,

a court minister of King Charles VIII,

although much of the work and design

was actually overseen by his wife,

Katherine Briçonnet.

The fortified castle and mill on the site was demolished,

the keep was left standing and restored in Renaissance style.

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The flower display in every sumptuously furnished room

adds to its elegance.

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This was the bedroom of 
King Henry the 2nd's mistress Diane de Potiers.

The fireplace is engraved with the initials of Henry 2^nd 
and Catherine de Medici H and C, 
which when intertwined can form the D of Diane de Potiers.

(look above the above the doorway)

The painting above the fireplace

is a portrait of Catherine de Medici.

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Catherine De Medici's bedroom.

The four poster bed is characteristic of the Renaissance,

decorated with friezes, pilasters and side-view portraits.

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The Green Study

When Catherine Medici became regent on the death of Henry 2^nd

she governed France from this room.

Above the door is Solomon and the Queen of Sheba by Tintoretto

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The Five Queens' Bedroom was given this name

in memory of Catherine de Medici's two daughters

and three daughters-in-law...all Queens!

The walls are decorated with

a suite of 16^th century Flanders tapestries.

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Louise of Lorraine’s most singular contribution

was her black-walled mourning room on the top floor,

to which she retreated when her husband,

Henri III, was assassinated in 1589.

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Louis XIV's Drawing Room holds a collection

of 17^th & 18^th century paintings.

Above the console...

The Child Jesus and John the Baptist

by Rubens,

Portrait of King Louis XV by Van Loo.

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The château's pièce de résistance is the 60m-long,

chequerboard-floored Grande Gallerie over the Cher.

At either end of the gallery are two superb Renaissance fireplaces.

During the first world war the south door of the gallery gave access to the left bank of the river making it possible for the Resistance to pass large numbers of people into the free zone.

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The kitchens are located in the two enormous bases forming the first two piers built in the bed of the river Cher.

There are separate rooms for the pantry,

the butchery,

the larder

and a dining room for the servants.

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The chateau was used as a military hospital during WWI,

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The eastern formal garden was

 added by Diane de Poitiers, mistress of King Henry II.

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Following Henri’s death Catherine de Médicis,

the king’s scheming widow, 
forced Diane (her 2nd cousin) to exchange Chenonceau 

for the rather less grand Château de Chaumont.

Catherine completed the château's construction

and added the yew-tree maze and the western rose garden.

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The yard of the 16th century farm,

gives you the feeling of being part of a historical film set

A wide variety of flowers for cutting are grown in this garden:

white lupines, delphiniums, lilies, peonies, dahlias, irises

The floral workshop also uses natural materials

like branches, pine cones, mosses and lichens

in order to preserve all the charm and refinement

of a country château at Chenonceau.

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The Jardin des Fleurs where the flowers

that decorate all of the castle’s rooms are raised.

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The Italian maze is planted with 2,000 yews

and covers more than one hectare.

At its centre, a raised gloriette offers a clear view all around.

The monumental Caryatids...

Pallas, Cybele, Hercules and Apollo

that once decorated the chateau facade,

have been reunited behind the labyrinth.

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The setting is glorious, the formal gardens,

the magic of the architecture

and the château's fascinating history,

shaped by a series of powerful women

made for a memorable visit.

We walked 9.2 k's today