Tales of an Amorphic Destiny

The Châteaux of the Loire Valley

June 29th, 2007 at 08:14pm James

From the 15th to 18th centuries, The Loire Valley in west central France was the playground of several generations of French aristocracy. Today the legacy of these kings and nobles lives on in the elaborate châteaux spread throughout the region. These châteaux began life as fortresses, their size and position necessary to defend against medieval invaders. However as time went on, the châteaux became increasingly decorative and elaborate symbols of wealth and power.

Arriving in the Loire in the afternoon, we passed through the main town of Blois and made our way a bit further west to see our first château. Chaumont is perched on a hillside on the edge of the Loire river and while smaller than many of its neighbours, its medieval castle styling, (complete with working drawbridge!) is quite unique.

One of Chaumont’s most famous features are its expansive stables and we managed to sneak in just before closing to have a look around. They were certainly well enough appointed for even the most horse-loving of aristocrats.

After leaving Chaumont we found a nice campsite by the Loire and settled in for the night. The next morning we crossed the bridge and went to explore the town of Blois. We wandered around the tiny streets of the old town, where some of the original buildings are still standing even after substantial bombing during WWII.

Finally we ended up at the town’s main feature, the Châteaux de Blois itself. Additions to the château over the centuries give it a mix of architectural styles. One of the most striking features in the massive courtyard is the enormous spiral staircase.

Inside, the rooms were sumptuously decorated, with intricately painted ceilings and tapestries hanging from the walls. Adjoining what was once the King’s bedroom was this oratory, for silent prayer and meditiation.

In the oldest section of the château was the assembly room. This vast chamber housed meetings of the King’s council and is one of the largest of its kind in Europe.

The next châteaux on the list was Cheverny, south-west of Blois. This is one of the few that is still privately owned and up until recently was actually occupied by the family that owns it.

We arrived just in time for the 5pm feeding of the château’s 100 hounds – quite a spectacle! A huge pile of meat and dry food was laid out before the gate was opened and 100 hungry dogs came piling out. Needless to say the food didn’t last very long.

Being so recently occupied, Cheverny is known for its extravagently decorated interior and going inside we weren’t disappointed.

Finally we had a look around the potager garden, where a vast array of flowers, herbs, fruits and vegetables were planted.

We spent the evening back in Blois, where we enjoyed a very tasty meal and a few glasses of vin. The following day we resumed our assault on the châteaux of the Loire, first visiting Chambord. This is the largest and reputedly most visited châteaux in the region and upon arrival it’s hard not be impressed by it’s sheer size.

The building itself is designed to be perfectly symmetrical, with it’s central feature a stunning double-helix spiral staircase based upon a design by Leonardo da Vinci. The interior of Chambord was so large that we found ourselves lost more than once. While not as beautifully decorated as Cheverny, the architecture of this massive castle was truly stunning. The rooftop terrace at the top of the central staircase was particularly impressive with it’s many towers, chimneys and spires.

Next was the forboding Châteaux d’Amboise. Amboise is a beautiful riverside town and it is dominated by it’s warlike château, built on top of a rocky hill.

We decided to skip the interior, but we stopped in at a wine cellar built in to the fortifications to indulge in some of the very tasty local produce – wine and goats cheese.

Before heading out we also walked up to Le Clos Luce, the 15th-century house in which Leonardo da Vinci lived and worked.

Last on our list was the beautiful Châteaux de Chenonceau. This building evolved from a fortified mill and castle keep, giving it a very distinctive design bridging the River Cher. During WWII one of the galleries overlooking the water was converted into a hospital. Soldiers could enter the building at one end from German occupied France and leave the other end into free France.

King Henri II originally gave this house to his mistress Diane de Portiers, but on his death Henri’s wife Catherine de Medicis took it back off her and looking around it was easy to see why – the whole place was breathtaking, both inside and out.

And with that our tour of the Loire Valley Châteaux came to a close. On our way back to camp we found a small butcher and baker that were still open, so we picked up a baguette and some very tasty sausages for a BBQ French-style. We enjoyed a lovely bottle of red from the winery we’d visited earlier and then more than a few beverages well into the evening.

Sarah and Viv were very excited to see their first hedgehog and attempted to "persuade" it back out of the hedge for a photo. This wasn’t to be so Sarah gave it a poke and it wouldn’t move at all. Viv gave up after being stung by stinging nettle and realising we wouldn’t see it’s face again as it was now curled up in a very tight ball.

The next morning we packed the car and proceeded east to Magny-Cours for the French F1 Grand Prix. There’s a few more photos from our visit to the Loire Valley here.

Entry Filed under: Europe