Magnificent chenonceau castle in france. "Lady's Castle" Chenonceau in France

One of the most famous and visited castles of the Loire Valley, Chenonceau Castle (Château de Chenonceaux) is located on the banks of the Cher River in the department of Indre-et-Loire.

Early history of the castle

The land near the village of Chenonceau, where the famous castle stands, belonged since 1243 to an aristocratic family from the Auvergne de Mark. Initially, it was a military fortress surrounded by a moat.

At the end of the XIV century. during the reign of Charles VI, J. de Mark became an ally of the English king and provided his castle to accommodate his military detachments. After its capture by the French troops, the king ordered the destruction of the castle, but the land adjacent to it was soon returned to the former feudal lords.

In 1512, J. Boye acquired the lands and the remains of the fortress. Following the new trends in architecture that became popular after the Italian campaigns of Francis I, he ordered the demolition of the old castle. On its ruins, a Renaissance mansion was built with four corner towers with lancet vaulted halls and mid-flight stairs between floors. From the former medieval fortifications, only the donjon was preserved.

royal residence

In 1533, King Francis I confiscated the castle of Chenonceau from the heir, J. Boyer. He turned it into his hunting lodge and a venue for social entertainment. The whole royal family, courtiers and favorites of princes and kings came here for festive balls and celebrations.

Contrary to tradition and laws, Henry III gave the castle to Diane de Poitiers in 1547. In 1551, she began work on the rebuilding of the castle and the improvement of the park. To implement her plans, the architect F. Delorme was invited, who also built a bridge across the Cher.

After the tragic death of Henry III in 1559, D. de Poitiers was forced to return Chenonceau to his widow Catherine de Medici. Under the new owner of the castle-palace, its further transformations continued. The architect Primaticcio prepared a new project for the façade with classical columns. New statues, fountains, obelisks and triumphal arches.

In 1580, on the bridge over the Cher built by F. Delorme, a new two-story wing of the castle was erected by the architect A. Ducerso. Its facade is cut through with wide windows, lucarnes and rhizoliths. The interior of the premises of this part of the castle, and especially the ballroom on the top floor, is decorated with an abundance of decorative details in the Renaissance style.

A kaleidoscope of centuries

After 1650, Chenonceau Castle was no longer visited by crowned heads. Shortly after that year, one of the wings of the castle was occupied by a Capuchin monastery. In 1733, part of the castle was sold to a wealthy businessman C. Dupin. His wife, having arranged a secular salon in the castle and opened a small theater, returned it to its former brilliance and popularity.

After several decades of desolation in the XIX century. in 1864, the castle was acquired by Madame Pelouze. She invested personal funds in the restoration of the castle with a high-profile history and returned to its facades the architectural style of the times of Catherine de Medici.

From 1888 to the present, the Chateau de Chenonceau has been owned by the Meunier family. During the First World War, she provided the castle to house a military hospital. During the years of the occupation of France in the 1940s, a demarcation line passed through the castle park between the territories controlled by the Germans and the Vichy government. For this reason, the castle of Chenonceau was convenient place for contacts of members of the French resistance movement.

Architectural and park ensemble

In the rectangular courtyard of the castle of Chenonceau is its oldest building - the Mark's tower, the construction of which dates back to the 13th century. On palace square there is another interesting attraction of the castle. This is a medieval well, over which a structure with heraldic figures of a chimera and an eagle was built.

The drawbridge opens a passage to the main entrance to the castle from which it is easy to get to the Hall of the Guards. The main decoration of its interiors is a collection of tapestries from the 16th century. In the castle chapel, visitors can see several marble statues, among which the most valuable composition depicts the Virgin Mary with the baby Jesus.

On the first floor of the castle is art Gallery, which exhibited paintings by P. Rubens, J-M. Nattier, P. Minyara, L-M. Van Loo and F. Primaticcio. This part of the castle also houses the Green Hall and the chambers of D. de Poitiers.

An Italian-style staircase leads to the second floor of the Chenonceau castle. Passing through the enfilade of rooms, the tourists get acquainted with the interior of the chambers of G. de Estre, Charles of Orleans, Catherine de Medici. The Main Hall and the Room of the Five Queens are also open to the public.

The exposition of the Museum is located in the former stables of the castle. wax figures. In its halls, thematic scenes from the life of the owners of the castle with the participation of famous historical figures are reproduced. IN palace and park ensemble also includes the gardens of Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de Medici with a yew labyrinth, a farm of the 16th century. and a greenhouse with 130,000 flowering plants.

How to get there

Chenonceau is one of the most elegant castles in France, flanked by the small river Cher and perched on top of a superb graceful arched bridge.

It's hard not to admire the magnificent setting, the formal gardens, the magic of the architecture and fascinating history castle, which was formed by a number of influential women. Its interior is adorned with rare furniture and a fabulous art collection that includes works by Tintoretto, Correggio, Rubens, Murillo, Van Dyck and Ribera (look for an unusual portrait of Louis XIV).

This impressive complex is mostly the work of a few wonderful women (hence its nickname “Le Château des Dames”). First stage construction began in 1515 for Thomas of God, court minister to King Charles VIII, although much of the work and design was actually controlled by his wife Catherine Brisonnet.

The distinctive arches and eastern formal garden were added by Diane de Poitiers, mistress of King Henri II. After the death of Henri Catherine de Medicis, the treacherous king's widow forced her cousin to exchange Chenonceau for the less grandiose Château de Chamont. Katherine completed the construction of the castle and added a labyrinth and a western rose garden to its territory. Her most significant contribution was the black-layered mourning room on the top floor, in which she lived when her husband Henri III was assassinated in 1589.

Chenonceau had its heyday during the eighteenth century, during the reign of the aristocratic Madame Dupin, who made the castle the center of a fashionable society. Voltaire and Rousseau were among his guests at that time. During the Revolution, at the age of 83, she was able to save him from destruction, thanks to quick thinking and some strategic concessions. The excellence of the style of the castle is a grandiose gallery on arches over the river Cher. It has been the site of many elegant parties organized by Catherine de Medicis and Madame Dupin.

Also, it was a military hospital during the First World War, and from 1940 to 1942 served as an evacuation route for settlers, Jews and other refugees who fled from the German-occupied zone. The upper level of the Galerie Médicis has a well presented exhibition (in French and English) on the colorful history of the castle and the women who shaped it.

Practical information

There are many must-see places within the castle grounds, so plan to spend at least half a day here. From mid-March to mid-November you can dine at the gastronomic french restaurant called L’Orangerie (menu from 31 to 40 euros) and a local coffee shop located on the castle grounds.

Address: 37150 Chenonceau, France.

Working hours A: January 1 to February 20 9:30 to 5:00 pm (daily). From February 21 to March 28 from 9:30 to 5:30 pm (daily). From March 29 to May 31 9:00 am to 7:00 pm (daily).

From June 1 to June 30, 9:00 am to 7:30 pm (daily). From July 1 to August 31 from 9:00 to 8:00 pm (daily). From September 1 to September 30 from 9:00 to 7:30 pm (daily). October 1 to November 1 9 am to 6:30 pm (daily).

November 2 to November 11 9:00 am to 6:00 pm (daily). November 12 to December 31 9:30 am to 5:00 pm (daily). The lock is available 30 minutes after the ticket office closes.

Entry price: Full adult ticket price from €13.00 to €17.50 (with or without audio guide). Free entry for children under 7, disabled people and journalists. Average tour duration: 2 hours.

Ways of travel: The castle is located 33 km east of Tours, 13 km southeast of Amboise and 40 km southwest of Blois. From Chenonceau you can take the train to Tours (ticket price € 7, journey time 25 minutes, trains run 9 to 12 times a day).

And, back to the magnificent

The Loire, the longest of the French rivers, flows leisurely through the green plains that stretch from the Massif Central to Atlantic Ocean. The lush fertility of the beautiful Loire Valley was appreciated not only by the French, who fought for it with foreigners for centuries.

Eleven centuries ago, the first fortresses were built here to protect against Norman raids. Initially, these were temporary structures; later, when in the 11th century building materials began to be mined in the valley - tuff, slate and easy-to-work limestone - numerous Castles of Loire.

They were surrounded by moats with drawbridges and massive walls with towers and loopholes. About the dark times of defensive wars, the spirits that, according to legend, live in the huge dull castles of Angers and Lange, or in the ruins of Chinon, could tell a lot.

The French kings and the aristocracy of the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance turned a section of the middle reaches of the Loire into a land of luxurious castles - chateau. The most famous poets and artists were invited here, troubadours sang here for the royal favorites.

Passions were seething on the Loire, fortunes were wasted. During the Renaissance, many castles in the Loire Valley were rebuilt. Invited Italian masters (one of them - Leonardo da Vinci himself) turned medieval fortresses V fairytale palaces; a number of new castles were also built - such as Chenonceau.

Like many castles in the Loire Valley, Chenonceau was never designed for defensive purposes, although it is decorated with high walls and towers typical of medieval castles(like the castle of Amboise, Mont Saint-Michel, or the castles of England: Conwy, Harleck, Carnarvon). Instead, the castle of Chenonceau is amazing luxury palace, the beauty of which can only be overshadowed by the Palace of Versailles.

Chenonceau was nicknamed ladies' castle. In the construction of the building, with a gentle touch, the passions of its owners were reflected. Catherine Briconnet, wife of Thomas Boye, a wealthy tax collector, built this elegant castle in 1521 on the site of an ancient 13th-century fortress. After their death, the son, along with the castle, inherited huge debts. He had to sell Chenonceau to the French crown.

When King Henry II came to the throne of France in 1547, he gave the charming estate to his mistress Diane de Poitiers, the first beauty of the time, Henry's eldest by 19 years. Diana built arch bridge over the river, giving the impression that the castle is floating on the water, which made it one of the most beautiful in the Loire Valley.

After the death of Henry, his wife, Catherine de Medici, decided to take revenge on her mistress. She knew how Diana was attached to Chenonceau and, in order to hurt her feelings, Catherine demanded that Chenonceau be ceded to her in exchange for the Chaumont castle. But Diana moved to her castle Anet, where she died seven years later.

With her usual taste and ostentatious luxury, Catherine made her own improvements in landscaping the gardens, completed the construction of a drawbridge and a 70-meter gallery on the bridge over the river. The architect Primaticcio designed the estate with extraordinary splendor: columns, statues, fountains, triumphal arches, obelisks. Beautiful magnificent balls, masquerades and fireworks followed one after another, surprising contemporaries with their scope. A battery of 30 guns saluted in the yard. Here the idea of ​​a holiday from the time of Louis XI (mid-15th century) was revived, when women dressed in men's costumes, and men in women's.

Catherine bequeathed Chenonceau to Louise of Lorraine, the wife of her son Henry III. When he died unexpectedly, Louise took a vow of lifelong mourning. For eleven years, the castle became the crypt of the "White Queen", as Louise was nicknamed for refusing to take off her white widow clothes according to traditional etiquette.

The last of the royal family of France in Chenonceau lived Louis XIV at the age of 12 in 1650. The castle was abandoned until one wing was converted into a Capuchin monastery. The monks built a drawbridge to isolate themselves from the outside world.

During the French Revolution, Chenonceau Castle was saved from destruction by another patroness - Louise Dupin, wife of the banker Claude Dupin, who bought the castle in 1733. A great admirer of the arts, science and literature, Louise set up a fashionable salon and a small theater in Chenonceau, where all the celebrities of the time, including Jean-Jacques Rousseau, gathered. They say that the peasants loved her very much, so the castle did not suffer from the revolutionaries.

In 1864, Chenonceau was bought by Madame Pelouze, who devoted her life to restoring the castle. Since 1913, the castle has belonged to the Meunier family ( well-known manufacturer sweets), who completed the restoration work and returned the castle to its former glory. Today Chenonceau is a private property, but is open to tourists.

At the entrance to castle of chenonceau there is a magnificent avenue of age-old plane trees, behind which once, during the celebration in honor of the accession of Charles IX to the throne, sirens, nymphs and satyrs hid.

Passing the drawbridge, you will reach a terrace surrounded by a moat. On the left is the Italian garden of Diane de Poitiers, on the right is the Catherine de Medici park. At the corner of the Front Court rises medieval donjon- most ancient building castle, preserved from the old fortress. It is engraved with Boye's initials: T. V. K. (Thomas Bohier and Katherine) and the inscription: "Who ever comes here, let him remember me."

Chenonceau Castle consists of a rectangular main building with turrets at the corners. There is a car park on the left book Shop and storage. On the bridge stretches a two-story gallery of Catherine de Medici. On the ground floor is the Hall of the Guards, decorated with 16th-century Flemish tapestries. The chapel houses the Carrara marble sculpture "Madonna and Child". Further - the Green Hall of Catherine de Medici with tapestries, the room of Diane de Poitiers with an elegant fireplace, a gallery with paintings by Rubens, Primaticcio, Nattier and other artists.

The second floor can be reached by stairs with straight flights (which was an innovation in France at that time). In addition to the ballroom, there is a tapestry gallery with hunting scenes and marble statues of Roman emperors brought by Catherine from Florence, the Gabrielle d'Estre room, the Front Room, or the room of the "Five Queens" (two daughters of Catherine and her three daughters-in-law, including Mary Stuart and Queen Margo). All rooms are furnished and beautifully decorated.

Under the roofs was a small monastery with a drawbridge. In the buildings where there were royal stables and silkworms were grown for the first time in France, now there is a wax museum - the Ladies' Gallery.

Finally, take a walk in a luxurious 18th-century park with yew labyrinths with caryatids on the picturesque coast of the Loire Valley, with the beauty of which only the royal castles of Germany in the Bavarian Alps can compete: Neuschwanstein, Linderhof and Herrenchiemsee.

The area where the castle and gardens of Chenonceau are located is an outstanding evidence of the delicate taste of two talented women: Diane de Poitiers (Diane de Poitiers) and Catherine de Medicis (Catherine de Medicis) and for this reason has a second, popular name - "ladies' castle". Since the completion of their creation, the gardens have always been an integral part and a worthy decoration of the magnificent castle, which is one of the so-called castles of the Loire (castles built on the banks of the picturesque river Loire, or near them).

According to historical data, the history of the Chenonceau estate began in the middle of the 13th century. In the future, the land passed into different hands several times, and the castle itself was rebuilt. At the beginning of the 16th century, the estate was bought by the financier Thomas Boye, a great admirer of the Renaissance style, who invested a lot of money in the construction of a new castle created according to the canons of this style. However, the Boye family did not own their beautiful castle for a long time - shortly after the death of the head of the family, the castle was confiscated by King Francis I for fraud and violations allegedly committed by the Boye in the financial service. Subsequently, the king repeatedly visited the estate of Chenonceau, famous not only majestic castle but also extensive hunting grounds. Among his close associates, who often came here with the king, was, of course, his son Henry with his wife Catherine de Medici and his son's favorite Diane de Poitiers. It is difficult to say what kind of relationship Henry and Diana actually had, but ... soon after Henry became king (1547), he gave her the Chenonceau estate.

1551 without exaggeration can be called the year of birth of the gardens of Chenonceau. Having received the estate as a gift, Diane de Poitiers took up the landscaping of the castle grounds, where at that time there was only an orchard and a small garden with some plants that were fashionable at that time.

Over the next five years, many important changes took place here and today this part of the gardens of Chenonceau is known as the Garden of Diane de Poitiers - "Le Jardin de Diane". The garden contains retaining walls and raised terraces, thanks to which it is insured against floods located near the Cher River. It's kind of green theater, with an area of ​​more than 1.2 hectares, built according to a very simple plan: two large diagonal alleys that intersect in the center, forming four triangles. Each triangle was then also divided into two equal parts by alleys passing through the center and decorated with santolina plantings with a total length of 3,000 meters.

The beauty of the garden lies not only in its unpretentious design, but also in the range of plants used here - fruit trees and shrubs, hawthorn, hazel, while strawberry trees and violets are planted on the edges of the alley. Many famous gardeners have taken care of the beauty of this place over the years, including the archbishop of Tours and his vicar (assistant), as well as Jean de Selve, a friend and protector of the famous French scientist Bernard Palissy. On a commemorative bronze plate placed near the garden, we can read the description of the garden given by Jacques Androuet du Cerceau in his book The Most Excellent Houses of France, written between 1576-1579.

The assortment of plants in flower beds changes twice a year. Spring plantings include: yellow and blue varieties of Viola (Pansies), white roses depending on the theme of the flower garden, pink and white daisies, forget-me-nots and numerous bulbs. Summer favorites: petunias, tobacco, dwarf dahlias, verbena and, of course, begonias.

In the immediate vicinity of the garden of Diane de Poitiers is the Chancellery - the house of the property manager, and a wooden pier, entwined with vines. From the pier you can go to one of water trips along the river Sher.

King Henry II was badly wounded during a tournament and died on July 10, 1559. Fearing trouble from the king's widow, which her former "merits" promised her, Diana hastened to return the Chenonceau estate to Catherine de Medici.

In the view of the new mistress of the castle, Chenonceau was to become the residence of the king in the same way as the Tuileries Palace. The Italian architect and sculptor Francesco Primaticcio was invited to carry out the construction work, and he built new arches, fountains and obelisks, and also participated in the creation of new gardens.

Catherine made other global changes, such as building a garden of curiosities among a variety of flowers and shrubs, which included an aviary, a menagerie, sheepfolds, artificial caves and the Fountain du Rocher.

Catherine de' Medici bequeathed Chenonceau to her daughter-in-law, Louise of Lorraine, wife of Henry III. When Louise found out about the murder of her husband, she forever dressed in white - the mourning color of queens - and retired to her apartment, decorating them with mourning symbols and black draperies.

After the death of Louise of Lorraine, the castle fell into disrepair, and in 1773 was sold to Claude Dupin, a tax collector from Châteauroux. Under the Dupins, Chenonceau was restored and regained its former splendor. Madame Dupin, an admirer of the arts, science, literature and theater, created a salon in Chenonceau, which was visited by the most famous people of culture of the 18th century from Marivaudeau to Voltaire and Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

In 1864, Madame Peleuz bought the castle. She carefully restored the castle, giving the buildings their original appearance, and then sold it to its current owners, the Meunier family.

Chenonceau Castle is open daily from 9.00 to 19.00 in summer and from 9.30 to 17.00 in winter, in July and August until 20.00. Closed December 25th and January 1st. Cost: 10.50 euros, with audio guide and museum visit - 15.50 euros. Chenonceau is one of the busiest attractions in France, so it's best to arrive early to avoid the crowds. Official website: www.chenonceau.com

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Chenonceau Castle - one of the most beloved, famous and visited castles in France

The lone donjon tower is all that today reminds of the first owners of the vast Chenonceau estate in the 12th century. The estate, where Chenonceau Castle rises today, belonged since 1243 to the de Mark family, immigrants from Auvergne. Their property was also the fortress located here, surrounded by water ditches and connected to the bank of the river Sher by a drawbridge. There was a mill next to the fortress. By the beginning of the XVI century. The expenses of the de Mark family significantly exceeded its income and they decided to put up part of the land for sale. This was taken advantage of by the quartermaster for financial affairs in Normandy at the court of Francis I, Thomas Boye, who bought out plot after plot until he became the owner of most of it. The rest was only a matter of time, and in 1512 Boye also bought the castle from the de Mark family.

Then everything happened according to the scenario already known from the history of the castles of the Loire: the new owner, succumbing to the charm of the Renaissance, destroys old fortress and builds a new country castle-residence on the site of the mill, abandoning thick walls and loopholes in favor of the lightness and beauty of the new style. From the old castle, he retained only the donjon. Although some elements of the fortifications still had to be preserved, taking into account the strategic location of the castle at the crossing over the river Cher

It so happened that the fate of several outstanding women, whose names have been preserved by history, are connected with the name of Chenonceau at once. The first was the wife of Thomas Boye - Catherine Bonet. Since her husband was employed in the service of the king, all the care of rebuilding the castle in accordance with grandiose plans wife lay on her shoulders. She coped with this task - the castle was a success, continuing to be a fortified fortress with four towers and a drawbridge, but at the same time possessing the elegance and beauty inherent in the Renaissance style. Gardens were laid out in the vast surrounding areas

In 1524, Thomas Boye died in Italy, where he went in the retinue of the king; his wife died two years later. After the transfer of ownership into the hands of their son Antoine, Francis I, whom she called to herself "insatiable", under the pretext of compensating for a number of violations in financial affairs for which Thomas was responsible, confiscated the castle. With plausible pretexts, King Francis I, obviously, had no difficulty) One gets the impression that all the owners of nice real estate in the Loire Valley sooner or later fell into the field of his attention and found themselves in places very remote from real estate)

After the death of Francis I, the castle passes to his son Henry II and then the script turns into a real love thriller

The second brilliant owner of the castle is Diana de Poitiers, a prominent lady at court, who was noticed and singled out by Francis I. Diana becomes the favorite of the future King Henry II under Catherine de Medici, being 19 years older than him. Despite her age, Diana managed to maintain her beauty, as evidenced by her famous portrait, where she is depicted naked with a deer. To preserve her youth, she plunged into icy water in the morning, rode a horse and walked on foot, then to fall asleep until noon. A beauty with extraordinary abilities, a masculine mind and character, she received Chenonceau Castle as a gift from the king, to the envy of Catherine. Henry II made another gift to his favorite, forgiving her part of the tax, which he personally returned to her. Thanks to these funds, Diane de Poitiers was able, from 1551, to undertake work on the improvement of her property, including the redevelopment of the park and orchard, which grew vegetables and fruits that were considered exotic at that time, such as artichokes and melons. On behalf of Diana, the depth of Sher was measured for the purpose of the proposed construction stone bridge, which was carried out according to the project of Philibert Delorme

In 1559, according to the prediction of Nostradamus, Henry II died from a mortal wound inflicted on him at the tournament by Montgomery's spear. Only after this tragic incident with the king at the tournament, Catherine was finally able to show Diana her true attitude towards her and ordered her to leave the castle, not even allowing her to see the king before her death. Diana retired to her castle of Anet, where she soon died at the age of 66.

With the death of Henry II, Catherine de Medici becomes regent under the Dauphin Francis II. It is interesting that Catherine, who did not enjoy the first years at the French court, location and attention, being considered a lady not particularly refined and educated, gave the order to build an extremely beautiful gallery on the bridge, which complemented the castle and gave it charm. During her reign, luxurious festivities were held in the castle in honor of the son of Francis II and his wife Mary Stuart. The architect Primaticcio designed the estate with extraordinary splendor: columns, statues, fountains, triumphal arches, obelisks... A battery of 30 cannons saluted in the courtyard. Later, Catherine organized another commemorative celebration in 1577, timed to coincide with the return of Henry III from Poland, to confirm the right of succession for her brother Charles IX. Then balls with dressing up were arranged, which later became the favorite pastime of the court. Catherine also ordered to build gardens on the other side of the estate. As a result, today the castle is decorated with two gardens: one - created by Diane de Poitiers, and the second - Catherine de Medici

In 1580, the architect Androuet Ducerceau realized the idea of ​​Philibert Delorme by building a new wing on the bridge over the river Cher. This two-storey structure consisted of two long facades cut through by rhythmically alternating windows, risalits, and lucarnes. The top floor, equipped as a ballroom, was richly decorated, like the rest of the castle.

The fourth lady, whose story is connected with Chenonceau castle, was the wife of King Henry III Louise de Vaudemont, for whom history assigned the nickname “white lady”, as she kept mourning for her husband until the end of her days, who was killed by a religious fanatic Catholic monk Jacques Clement. According to the customs of the Middle Ages, the mourning color of the dress was white. With Louise de Vaudemont, all the holidays in the castle stopped. She retired to the castle and most spent her time in prayer and communion with the Ursuline nuns

The castle was also a witness to the reign of the Valois dynasty and saw its decline, after three sons of Catherine de Medici, kings of France, died one after another: Francis II, Charles IX and Henry III. In 1589, Catherine died in Blois and power passed to Henry IV, husband of Queen Margot, Catherine's daughter. Henry IV of Navarre, became the ancestor of the Bourbon royal family

In the second half of the XVII century. Louis XIII lived in the castle for a short time, who became the last king to live in Chenonceau. After that, the castle gradually fell into disrepair.

Another outstanding woman was lucky enough to become the owner of the castle in the XVIII century - she became Madame Dupin, the wife of the wealthy landowner-banker Claude Dupin, who in 1733 inherited the castle from the Duke of Bourbon. Louise Dupin, a fan of the arts, science, literature and theatre, opened a fashion salon in Chenonceau, where the names of many celebrities of that era flashed, including Fontenelle, Montesquieu, Voltaire, Madame de Taney ...

Jean Jacques Rousseau became Madame Dupin's secretary and tutor to her daughter. He then wrote: “... In this great place there was a lot of entertainment, the food was very good here, I became fat, like a monk. Here they liked to play music, read plays. I composed here a work in verse under the title "Sylvia Alley" after the name of the alley of the park, enveloping the Cher"

Madame Dupin spent her last years in the castle, surrounded by her village servants, who loved her very much. Thanks to this, Chenonceau did not receive any damage during the Revolution. She died in 1799 at the age of 93 and was buried in the park

In 1864, Madame Pelouze buys Chenonceau and restores the castle, this becomes her life's work. She returned the castle to the state in which Boye left it.

After the ruin of the Pelouze family, the castle was confiscated in 1888 and subsequently sold to Henri Meunier, one of the wealthy industrialists of the time. The castle to this day is the property of this family and is now one of the selected castles of the Loire

In 1914, Gaston Meunier, then a senator of the department of the Seine and Marne, converted the castle into a hospital, where he housed over 2,000 wounded until the end of the First World War. During the Second World War, there was a contact point for local partisans.

Today, Chenonceau Castle has been completely restored and is open to the public. The service premises house the Wax Museum, which reproduces scenes from the life of the castle with some of the most famous historical characters. So, there you can see Catherine Boyer with a minstrel, Diana de Poitiers on a hunt, Henry II and Diana, Madame Dupin, receiving Rousseau and Voltaire, she is Nattier posing, as well as a reproduction of the atmosphere of a military hospital in 1914

Loire castles have long been as popular a French brand as the Eiffel Tower, Disneyland Paris, croissants and wine. beauty ancient castles, for the most part erected in the Middle Ages, and then rebuilt in the Renaissance in accordance with the requests of the kings and aristocracy of those times, attracts an endless stream of lovers of beauty all year round.

The castles are located not very far from Paris, within 1-2.5 hours drive, and many combine during organized excursion visiting several castles at once (there is no shortage of such excursions from Paris). Of course, this is a matter of taste, but since you can get to many castles on your own, and it is not difficult to do this, you should think about your own route. To help you do this, I am starting to publish articles about the different castles of the Loire - their history, architecture and "highlights".

By the way, how many castles of the Loire- the answer to this question will not be unambiguous, because castles and palaces, let's say, fall into "different categories" and have different statuses in different catalogs. If we focus on the classification of the official society "Castles of the Loire. Royal Valley", then their list includes 71 monuments. Despite the fact that not all objects from this list can be castles, since a whole park of structures for various purposes traditionally grew around the castles. Today, all of them are of great historical value and, according to unofficial estimates, the total number of objects in the Loire Valley can reach up to 300.

Among several dozen castles of the Loire Valley, known as cultural and historical monuments of world importance, some are especially popular, and the number of tourists visiting them is from 400 to 900 thousand people a year. One of them is Chenonceau Castle, which has the unofficial title of "Castle of Dams". Its owners were outstanding women, each of whom put a particle of their personality into the appearance of the castle and the magnificent gardens surrounding it.

The history of Chenonceau dates back to around the 13th century (1243). It is known that this year the owners of the lands on which the castle was erected in the form in which we can see it today, were the de Mark family from Auvergne. Among the objects was an ancient fortress (where exactly did it come from - information about this has been lost for centuries), surrounded by water moats and connected to the banks of the Sher River by a bridge on chains. In some places on the territory of the castle, even today you can find the image of the emblem of its first owners, the de Mark family.

Then, at the beginning of the 16th century (1512), the right to own the estate with the fortress passed to Thomas Boye, a very enterprising nobleman in the position of quartermaster at the court, in charge of finances. The wealthy Boyer began a global reconstruction of Chenonceau, from which he decided to make a luxurious castle in the Italian style, inspired by his "business trips" to this country during the wars. The construction was large-scale and very expensive, and the motto of the Boyes couple, preserved on the massive front door of the castle erected under their leadership, serves as a reminder of this to posterity - "If I manage to build Chenonceau, I will be remembered."

After the death of Boyer and his wife, this "tidbit" was "expropriated" from their heir by the King of France, Francis I. Around this time, the period of the history of Chenonceau as a "ladies' castle" begins. I will not bore you with historical conflicts around the castle and complete list those to whom it belonged, and I will list only the most famous female owners, because of which it received the name "ladies' castle".

King Henry II, son of Francis I, presented Chenonceau in 1547 to his favorite Diane de Poitiers(1499-1566). Diana developed a stormy activity, laying out beautiful gardens here, the best of the best for those times. The famous bridge over the river Cher, also built by her order, determined the unique appearance of Chenonceau.

Catherine de Medici(1519-1589), the widow of Henry II, after his death, excommunicates her rival Diana and takes away the castle from her, continuing to work on its improvement. Catherine de Medici erects a two-story gallery to organize lavish festivities. During her regency, Italian luxury reigns in the castle, court “parties” are held here on a grand scale.

Louise of Lorraine(1553-1601) in 1589, after the death of his husband, King Henry III (he was the fourth son of Henry II and Catherine de Medici), retires from the court to the castle of Chenonceau and wears mourning until his death. Mourning was then symbolized by the white color, and Louise, who whiled away her widowed days in the castle, plunged him into a state of, so to speak, stagnation and stupor. Today, the luxurious "black bedroom of the white queen" Louise of Lorraine "tells" about this sad period in the history of Chenonceau (in one of the photos). With her death, the period of the royal presence at the Château de Chenonceau ended.

In the XVIII century, another Louise - Louise Dupin, the wife of a wealthy landowner-banker, who passed the castle in 1733, breathed into Chenonceau new life. This prominent representative of the high society of France during the Enlightenment organized a fashion salon in the castle, surrounding herself with the best writers, poets, scientists and philosophers of that time. Chenonceau was often visited by Montesquieu, Diderot, Voltaire, Rousseau and other outstanding minds of the era. In fact, Louise Dupin saved the castle during the French Revolution, because thanks to the good nature of Dupin, the people's anger passed the castle and its inhabitants.

In the 19th century Marguerite Peluz, who emerged from the industrial bourgeoisie, spent almost a fortune on the revival of former luxury Chenonceau (she wanted to recreate the period of his heyday under Diane de Poitiers).

And one more name is mentioned in connection with the history of the castle of Chenonceau - this Simone Meunier, which in the 20th century managed a military hospital organized on the territory of the estate and the castle. The premises were converted into a hospital for wounded soldiers at the expense of the Meunier family, producers of the chocolate of the same name. The courage of Simone Meunier was manifested both during the First World War and during the Second - in the form of resistance to the Nazis, when anti-fascists were actively operating around the castle.

Chenonceau castle today

Chenonceau, a masterpiece of the Renaissance, was directly influenced by the Florentine Porte Vecchio. It presents a unique collection of paintings, tapestries and furniture. Chenonceau houses paintings by the greatest European masters of the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries: Murillo, Tintoretto, Nicolas Poussin, Correggio, Rubens, Primaticcio, Vanloo, Van Dyck, Francois Clouet and many others. A retrospective dedicated to the most important ladies in the history of the castle listed above is open here. The splendor of Chenonceau is largely created by the famous gardens of Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de Medici - a work of the Renaissance garden art. The gardens of the mistress and lawful wife of King Henry II are different, but they are united by incredible grace. Also, without exception, everyone likes the Italian labyrinth garden, created at the request of Catherine de Medici. Today, a whole staff of gardeners and floral designers is working to maintain the historical appearance of the gardens and the floral decoration of the castle.

Unfortunately, the format of the article does not allow to list all the premises and objects on the territory of the castle and estate, each of which is remarkable and even famous in connection with their outstanding owners. It is better to come here and see for yourself one of the most (and according to many, the most beautiful!) Castle of the Loire Valley.

Of course, it is worth taking at least one full day to this castle, or even together with the evening - in the summer (from July 1 to August 30) on the estate you can buy tickets for the so-called night walk and see the skillfully illuminated gardens of Chenonceau to the accompaniment of the composer's music Italian Classicism Arcangelo Corelli.

The castle is open all year round, seven days a week.

How to get to Chenonceau castle

The castle is located 214 kilometers from Paris, and 34 kilometers from the city of Tours - one of the two cities (the second is Blois), next to which the most famous castles of the Loire are "concentrated". By car from Paris, take the A10 highway.

You can also get there by train - from Gare Montparnasse to Saint-Pierre-des-Corps station, which is located near Tours. Then you need to transfer to a local train to Chenonceau. It is important to plan your journey in advance using the SNCF timetable so that you do not get caught up in the long train intervals between Saint-Pierre-des-Corps-Chenonceau.

(Castle of Leonardo da Vinci)

Chenonceau castle photo

Excursion "Night walk" in the gardens of Chenonceau

Chenonceau castle stands on the river Cher

Panorama of the castle of Chenonceau

Italian labyrinth of Catherine de Medici

Bedroom of Diane de Poitiers

The Green Study of Catherine de Medici

Cesar Vendôme's bedroom

"Funeral" bedroom of Louise of Lorraine

Christmas decorations at Chenonceau castle

Photo: Briq Ecliptique, Images de Marc

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