For The Love of Travel

Our first stop today, the Chateau Royal. Occupied since Neolithic times, Amboise became the main settlement of the Turones, a Celtic people. The first fortifications were built on the rocky spur and favoured the development of Gallo-Romanesque style. In 4thC AD, the first trenches of the chateau were dug to defend the residences built above the town. The fortress was fiercely disputed during medieval times, between the counts of Anjou and Blois. 

Chateau Royal was one of the favorite sites of the kings of France when they transformed their country during the Renaissance period. Phillippe-Auguste, Louis X1, Anne de Bretagne, François 1, Charles V111 and Léonard de Vinci (buried in St Hubert chapel @ the castle), have all had an impact on the chateau’s design.

From its elevated position at the tip of a rocky outcrop, the royal castle of Amboise offers a unique panorama over the landscapes of the Loire Valley. 

And the gardens are a panorama in themselves. Vines and topiary, a main courtyard with a planting of lime trees, a charming mix of immaculately clipped box balls and cones; tall slender Italian cyprus add height and interest; the oriental garden and south of France garden…the colour scheme is a simple mix of green, grey and white – with occasional blues and pinks to brighten the mix.

Some eclectic pics from Chateau wanderings:

18thC chair with Chinoiserie decoration

Great Hall provided a setting for the Royal Court where senior lords and their wives met to discuss the issues of the day

Lebanese cedar tree planted in 1840

 A photograph of Emir Abdelkader (1808-1883), who was an Algerian religious and military leader who led a struggle against the French colonial invasion of Algiers in the early 19th century. He was captured by French troops in 1847 and was transported to the Chateau d’Amboise as his residence, with family and a retinue of 80 people. The Emir spent 4 years at the Chateau before being personally freed by Napoleon.

After our chateau visit, Terry and John had dessert @ Patisserie Bigot, heres’ a pic of Terry’s Apricot tart….yum, but John’s choccy macaron looked great too.

Decided after dinner to see both Chateau d’Amboise and Chateau Chenonceau lit up at night….the latter required a 15 mins journey out of Amboise to a point by the river Cher, and then a walk in the dark through Park de Francueil to Chenonceau. Thank god John had a head torch light…lit the pathway for us… and Terry and John are both such good sports, couldn’t have taken these shots without them.

And on the way home in Amboise…..

Chambord is the largest chateau in the Loire valley; it was built over 28 yrs to serve as a hunting lodge for Francis 1, who maintained his royal residences at Blois and Amboise, being completed in 1547. The design was influenced by various architects and ‘influencers’, including Leonardo Da Vinci when he was guest of the King (and staying near by).

Built in French renaissance-style, the internal layout is an early example of the French and Italian way of grouping rooms into self-contained suites, a departure from the medieval style of corridor rooms. The massive chateau is composed of a central keep, with immense bastion towers at the corners. As it was never intended to provide any form of defence from enemies, the walls, towers and partial moat are purely decorative.

The roofscape of Chambord has often been compared with the skyline of a town – 11 kinds of towers, 3 types of chimneys, without symmetry, framed at the corners by the massive towers.

One of the architectural highlights is the spectacular open double-helix staircase that is the centrepiece of the château. The 2 spirals ascend three floors without ever meeting, illuminated from above by a sort of light house at the highest point of the chateau. 274 steps! The use of coffered vaulted ceilings was employed for the first time in France.

The chateau is surrounded by a 53 sq kilometre wooded park and game reserve maintained with red deer, enclosed by a 31 kilomatre wall.

This tapestry depicts the arrival of Louis X1V and his court at Chambord around 1665.

Interesting to note, Francis 1 only spent 72 nights in the chateau his entire lifetime!

Love to see French dog owners taking their pooches on their adventures too!

The Royal Chateau first on our list today, is located high on its rocky perch, dominating the city skyline and the Loire river. Its four facades, each of a distinct style, offer a rapid overview of French architecture and the history of the Chateaux of the Loire. It’s the only one to have hosted 10 Queens and 7 Kings of France, including Louis X11 and Francis 1, his nephew and successor. The city was the favoured stronghold of France’s rulers for over 100 years. It has 564 rooms, including 100 bedrooms with a fireplace in each and 84 staircases. The Chateau has witnessed more than one notable historical event, including the stay of Joan of Arc (1412-1431); the murder of the Duke of Guise (1550-1588) by Henry 111 (1551-1589); the place of exile for Marie de Medici (1545-1642).

Eglise-St-Nicholas, located between the Chateau and the Loire, combines Romanesque and Gothic styles. We spent a few hours meandering over the 4 floors and Chateau’s terrace. 

Then onto Chateau de Chambord to capture some drone shots. Wow, those incredible 18thC gardens are splendid – they were a late addition to the grounds of the chateau as the soil was largely soft wetland and marsh. It was during the stay of Polish King, Stanislas Leszczynski, between 1725-1733 that the marshlands were drained and sanitised, with bridges, dykes, a canal built (eradicating the malaria-carrying mosquitoes previously present). In 1734 the plantations on the 6.5 hectares began. Fantastic to be able to fly droney to capture the planting design from the air. The gardens fell into disrepair after the Revolution, until only large flat lawns remained, but restored  again in 2016. Tomorrow, we are going to explore inside!