* Photo courtesy of www.francethisway.comA while ago I wrote a short story about a woman whose life had turned into waiting. "Only sometimes," she was saying, "a long forgotten sound of steps under the white stone arches would reflect my youth in the waters of the river. The steps would be imaginary. The river would keep flowing undisturbed."
When I wrote it I was thinking of Chateau Chenonceau - one of the few I know which were inhabited, influenced, created, reborn, loved and left by women mostly. The history of this lovely place is a fairy tale itself but my favorite part is related to Diane de Poitiers - the mistress of Henry II who, regardless his later marriage to Catherine de Medici, remained in love with his first lover for his entire life. A rear thing among aristocrats at the time! Diane adored Chenonceau. When I visited the castle, I thought she had never left for real. Her perfume, her steps, her sighs in the lonely evenings without her lover - it was all there. If you have the chance - don't miss the opportunity to also walk the gardens in the evening when the specially chosen music will take you back through time and lives to an era of romance, intrigues, chevaliers and fallen queens. There is something magical about the mist surrounding the columns and the path on the east side. I could see the king riding this path and Diane gazing from the gallery above the water. It was an unique experience I never forgot. This is the official website of Chateau Chenonceau, an invaluable source of information and beautiful photos: http://www.chenonceau.com/
* Photo courtesy of www.travel-france-vacation.com
Another impressive chateau for me was the floating on the river Indre Chateau Azay-le-Rideau. It doesn't have such a romantic history and in fact was owned by the Mayor of Tours, Gilles Berthelot, who was also the treasurer for Francois I. The king later withdrew his favourable attitude towards the mayor and the castle was given to an army man. Still, Azay-le-Rideau has its own romantic air and big part of it is the fantastic location. The castle was built on the ruins of an older chateaux burned during the Hundred Years War. It is one of the earliest French Renaissance chateaux. Built on an island, its foundations rise straight out of the water. And there was a woman whose taste and passion were involved in the building of this bijou as well - the mayor's wife, Philippe Lesbahy, directed the course of the works. It was her who wanted the central internal staircase (escalier d'honneur) that is Azay's most beautiful feature, inspired by the staircase at Châteaudun. The Wikipedia has a nice article about the chateau here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azay-le-Rideau .
* Photo courtesy of www.globetourguide.com
Château de Chambord is another of the Renaissance castles in the valley and the most grandeur too. It was constructed by Francois I who wanted to be near his mistress - the Comtesse de Thoury, Claude Rohan, wife of an aristocrat whose château de Muides was adjacent. It is said the carved decor of the chateau was to resemble the gentle arms of the Comtesse de Thoury.
Despite its size and mighty presence, the castle was built to serve as a hunting lodge (besides the love nest role) and was destined to loneliness. The king maintained his royal residences at Château de Blois and Château d'Amboise. There has been an ongoing argument about the original designer and architect of this remarkable building but only in the beginning of the 20th century the name of Leonardo da Vinci was associated with Château de Chambord.
One of my favourite features of Chambord - it was never intended to serve as a defense point and nothing in its design was build with the thought of war. If the king was sufficiently in love at the time or da Vinci was indeed the genius behind the delicate yet enormous structure, I don't know. What I do know is this castle has atmosphere and gentle side which are a bit surprising when one first sets one's eyes on the towers - more appropriate for a downtown sight today than for a serene river scene five centuries ago.
Sadly, the destiny of the castle was fulfilled and it was mostly empty during all these years of existence. Louis XIII gave Chambord to his brother, Gaston d'Orleans, who saved it from ruin and did a lot of restoration work; then Louis XIV restored and furnished the royal apartments and added a 1,200-horse stable, enabling him to use the castle for hunting and entertainment for a few weeks each year. Still, Louis XIV abandoned the castle too. Later Stanislas I and Maurice de Saxe inhabited the castle for a while before it feel into silence again. New owners came with more or less desire to save the great building, law suits were initiated, heirs popped up, but only after the end of the World War II Chambord received the care it deserves and today attracts thousands of people each year with its glorious yet delicate beauty. The official website of the castle is http://www.chambord.org/Chambord-en-idm-1-n-Accueil.html - in English.
In the next post, I'll tell you more of my most romantic chateaux in the Loire Valley. For now, enjoy one of the best tours organized in the area: http://www.traveloffthebeatenpath.com/loirevalleyitinerary.html
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