Loire Valley Castles

Other nice castles : Usse, Langeais, La Ferte Saint Aubin, Beauregard, Villesavin, Troussay, Montpoupon, Cheverny, Talcy, Fougères sur Bièvre, Chémery, Réaux, Montresor, Nitray, Château du Riveau, etc.

Castle of Chenonceau

Chenonceau is one of the most impressive Renaissance Château. It was built about 1515 by Thomas Bohier, chancellor of the exchequer in François I's reign, on the foundations of an old mill. In 1524 it became royal property and Henri II gave it to his mistress Diane de Poitiers; on his death, his widow Catherine de Medicis took it back from her rival. Diane had Philibert Delorme buid a bridge between the Château and the opposite bank, Catherine had the galleries built on the bridge, for her grand receptions.

After a period of numerous receptions in honour of such guests as François II, Marie Stuart, and many others, Queen Louise de Lorraine spent her last years of widowhood there, after Henti III's death.
In the 18th century, the Château was bought by Mr Dupin, the chief tax collector, and his wife invited many famous visitors, such as Jean Jacques Rousseau, Voltaire and Diderot, to her literary circles. During the Revolution, she managed to save the Château from destruction. The present owners, the Menier family, bought the Château in 1913, and since then, they have carried out much restoration work on the buildings, seen to the upkeep of the park and the layout of the formal gardens, to enhance the pleasure of the ever-growing numbers of visitors.

Royal Castle of Amboise

The Royal Château of Amboise welcomes you every day of the year, excepting 1st January and 25th December. This emblematic monument and its landscaped gardens offer one of the most remarkable panoramas of the Loire valley, and are registered as a World Heritage site by UNESCO. Each visit has its own special way of looking at this renowned site of French History: its political and artistic importance within Europe in the Renaissance period; private moments in the lives of its Kings and Queens; daily life in Court and behind the scenes

Castle of Cheverny

Only some remnants of Raoul Hurault's old fortified castle possibly remain today. To say possibly may be surprising. This is a mystery in Cheverny as it cannot be proven whether part of the outbuildings are vestiges of the old castle. The old castle was captured in a drawing by a travelling artist but there are no reliable landmarks in the drawing. This is why the present castle could well have been built on the exact spot as the old castle, which would have been completely demolished.

The present Château de Cheverny is an original jewel among the more famous monuments that stretch along the Loire Valley. In fact, Renaissance style did not find its place in Cheverny, which is built in the purest Louis XIII classical style, distinguished by an extraordinarily symmetrical architecture. Cheverny, which was built in the first part of the 17th Century, is a prime example of this style. Its delicate features also stand out through the perfect whiteness of the stones, from the Bourré quarries in the Cher Valley. This particular stone not only comes out white, but also becomes harder with time. However, this almost rigid architectural layout also has its contrasts, such as the variety of roofing styles, from domes, to bell-towers and other French-style roofs.

The building work was put under the direction of an architect, master-mason and sculptor, Jacques Bougier, who was very well-known in his time. He also worked on a wing of the nearby Château de Blois. His work on a royal castle shows Cheverny's desire for quality. Unfortunately, Bougier died before completing his work. Cheverny's main staircase is the work of an unknown craftsman who simply left his initials and a date on the ground floor: FL 1634. The Château de Cheverny is perfectly preserved as it was built all at once. Nothing has been changed.

Thanks to this, Cheverny has maintained the same exterior for the last 350 years, without gaining the smallest wrinkle.

Castle of Valencay

Around a superb furnished castle, floret of the Renaissance in France, permanent historical spectacles revive to you the record and the vibrating life of the Empire. Splendid formal gardens, plays for the children, enigmas, animals, "grand Labyrinthe", come to pass in family, one day unforgettable at Valençay castle !

Castle of Villandry

Villandry was completed toward 1536 and was the last of the large chateaus built in the Loire Valley during the Renaissance.
Villandry was built by Jean le Breton, one of François I's Finance Ministers, whose coat of arms can be seen on the gable of the left-hand dormer window.

His most impressive achievement in this field was the construction of Chambord, that vast flight of regal fancy, which Le Breton supervised under the aegis of François I. While directing this project, he built for himself nearby a small replica of Villandry called Villesavin near the Chambord chateau. Le Breton had first been ambassador to Italy where he spent all his time studying the Italian Renaissance art of gardening. In order to build the present chateau, Le Breton had razed an old XIIth century castle, from which he had only kept the old tower that can be seen behind the main courtyard.

Villandry stayed in le Breton family until 1754 and then became the property of the Marquis de Castellane, the King's Ambassador who came from a very illustrious noble family from Provence. He built the Classical style outbuildings that you can see on either side of the front courtyard. He redesigned the interior of the chateau to meet the standards of comfort of the XVIIIth century which are much closer to those we know today than to those, which were applied during the Renaissance.

Castle of Chaumont

The castle of Chaumont, like much of Loire château, owes part of its beauty with the splendid site which it occupies. It dominates the river , at the point where the slope is most abrupt. With its feet, over bank, the village is spread out. The landscaped park into the fashionable English style and built the remarkable Belle Époque stables. And the Château grounds now plays host to an annual Festival des Jardins, which shows off the efforts of contemporary garden designers.

Castle of Chambord

The royal Château de Chambord at Chambord, Loir-et-Cher, France is one of the most recognizable châteaux in the world because of its very distinct French Renaissance architecture that blends traditional French medieval forms with classical Italian structures.

It is the largest castle in the Loire Valley, but was built to serve only as a hunting lodge for King François I, who maintained his royal residences at Château de Blois and at Château d'Amboise.

Castle of Langeais

Langeais Castle, in the Loire Valley near Tours, dates from the end of the Middle Ages. It has a wall walk, drawbridge and imposing towers and boasts a remarkable collection of medieval furniture and tapestries.
A tour of the interior not only gives a good idea of day-to-day life in the Middle Ages, but also provides reminders of a key event in French history : the marriage of Charles VIII and Duchess Anne of Brittany, which eventually led to her still-independent duchy becoming part of France.

Castle of Montpoupon

Private fortress entirely furnished, inhabited by the same family since several centuries. Incredible collection of copper-pans in the kitchen. The Museum of the hunstman will make you discover saddleries, stables, artists, craftsmen and important collections about hunt and horse, passion of the owners.

Royal Castle Blois

Blois is a glorious chateau, and central to French history, from Joan of Arc to Louis XIII. It can only be properly appreciated from inside, when you can look round the courtyard and see each side built in a different century and with architecture typical of that century, from simple feudal through Renaissance to the time of the Sun King. The courtyard hosts a son-et-lumiere which is brilliantly evocative.

Royal City of Loches

The keep of the castle of Loches was built in the early 11th century by Foulques Nerra. Thirty-six metres high, it is considered  as one of the most imposing building of the Norman period. Fine example of military architecture, it was later converted into a prison. One of its most famous inmates was Ludovic Sforza, duke of Milan.
The Royal Apartments are a significant example of the French Renaissance. The façade opening onto the terrace dominates the historic city and the Indre Valley.

Castle of Azay le Rideau

It was in the creative environment of the first years of the reign of Francis I that the château of Azay-le-Rideau was built. In 1515, Gilles Berthelot, one of the new courtiers and governor-general of the kingdom’s finances, replaced the small fortified castle his father had bought by two large wings protected by branches of the Indre river. At the angles, elegant little towers suspended over the water recall the woman who had inspired the house: Philippe Lesbahy, Gilles Berthelot’s courageous wife who was unable to complete the reconstruction after the disgrace and then the death of her husband.
The house has all the refinements of Renaissance architecture and epitomises the qualities of a traditional French château with its high roofs, tall watch-turrets, long rows of windows and dormer-windows and majestic Italian structure which gives the building a wonderfully symmetrical facade. In the courtyard, there is a splendid grand staircase built by an unknown master architect. From the loggias which are underlined by rich decorative sculptures, there is a wonderful view of the park. It was created at the Romantic period, when the new masters, the Marquis of Biencourt, restored the château.
Today, the facade is gently reflected in the calm river, and the interior is richly furnished and decorated with works of art. Tapestries hang in the great hall where balls and banquets were held. Portraits and historical paintings decorate the apartment which accommodated Louis XIII as well as the salons, library and dining room, which were redecorated by the Marquis of Biencourt.

Royal Fortress of Chinon

Overhanging majestically the city, the fortress built by the Count Thibaut I of Blois, invites the visitors to immerse themselves in the heart of the history of France and England. Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine established the Court of the Plantagenet in the fortress in the 12th century. After the death of Richard - the Lionheart , Philippe-Auguste took over the castle in 1204 and built the Coudray keep. In 1429, Joan of Arc met the Dauphin and future King Charles VII in the Royal Lodge.