Château de Chenonceau

Chenonceau is built over the river Cher

Arguably the most spectacular château in the Loire Valley, Chenonceau was built in 1513 soon became King Francois I's gift to his mistress, Diane de Poitiers. Diane had a bridge built across the river Cher. Later, Francois I's wife, Catherine di Medici, reclaimed the château and built galleries on the bridge.

Stealing a kiss by the window

In 1733, the château was acquired by Claude Dupin and his beautiful wife Louise, who held a literary salon there with writers, artists and philosophers like Voltaire and Jean-Jaques Rousseau.

Louise Dupin

The château's exhibits tell great stories about Louise, such as her determination to write an encyclopedia proving that women were equal to men in all ways. Louise saved the château from destruction during the revolution because so many locals respected her.

View from the gallery

We were very moved when we learned that the château was a hospital in the Second World War, with beds in the galleries -- can you imagine waking up in such a beautiful place? The men often fished from the gallery windows.

Incredibly, the Cher river provided a border between the Nazi-occupied North of France and the "free" South, so many people passed secretly between the zones through the castle!

Fireplace with extra ornamentation

Hedges were just the right height!

The gardens of Chenonceau were fabulous too, with a fantastic but not too challenging maze.




All of this history made us thirsty so we stopped at Les Caves du Père Augustin.

Another great sign

Salut!