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Sights to See
Royal Chateau at Blois - This chateau is a collection of
architectural styles. Each successive owner added a wing around the central
courtyard. Restoration was done by Felix Duban in the 19th century.
The original medieval fortress was built by the counts of Blois beginning in the
10th Chateau de Cheverny - This chateau still belongs to descendants of the Hurault family, the original builder. The chateau was built between 1630 and 1640 and is said to have invented the French style. The kennels are still in use and house a pack of 70 fox hounds. My husband liked the interiors of this chateau the best. They are definitely the most life like, full of furniture, paintings, tapestries and objects d'art. I guess this is because until fairly recently the Hurault de Vibraye family lived here. Continued Photos |
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To book a trip or get more information send an email to
kelly@apostcardhome.com or call (281)334-0427
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Chateau
Chambord - The largest and probably best know of the royal chateau was begun in
1519 by Francois I. The main building was finished twelve years later. Henri II
began the chapel in 1547. This is an immense building. The free guide pamphlet
gives you suggested itineraries based on the length of time you have.
Considering the chateau has 440 rooms you should not expect to see all of it in
one visit. We saw the rooms of the central keep, Francois I's suite and the
chapel. The highlight of the keep is the double helix staircase. Some
attribute the design to Leonardo da Vinci. The intertwined spirals make it
possible for one person to go and another to come down and never cross paths.
Much of the chateau is empty. This is for two reasons. First when the court
came to visit Chambord they brought furniture, tapestries, linens, china and
servants with them. The second is that many of the furnishings were lost during
the revolution. The interior is still graced with impressive stonework. You can
see Francois I's symbol, the salamander, everywhere. I thought the roof terrace
was the best part of the chateau. The roof is studded with turrets, spires and
365 chimneys. The grounds of the chateau cover 13,000 acres making it the
largest forested area in the region. The park is surrounded by a wall (nearly
20 miles of it) and you are free to roam over 3,000 acres by foot, bike or
horseback. The rest is a protected wildlife area.
century. It has the largest Gothic hall in France, the Hall of the Estates
General. Every inch of the two naves are covered with painted decoration. You
enter the chateau through the Flamboyant style Louis XII wing (1498-1503).
Below a carving of him seated on a horse is his symbol, the porcupine. The
royal apartments on the first floor are now the Fine Arts Museum of Blois. The
Francois I wing was built in the Renaissance style. It has an external
staircase of the kind that can also be seen at Chateau de Chambord. This wing
probably has the most notorious history. The small study is completely covered
by sculpted panels. They hide four cabinets that some say used to conceal
Catherine d' Medici's poisons and potions. The Duke of Guise was assassinated
in the King's bedroom in December of 1588 on the orders of Henri III. There are
several paintings depicting this event in the Hall of the Guises. The final
wing was built for Gaston d'Orleans between 1635 and 1638. It is in the French
Classical style. The interiors of this chateau were my favorite. I really liked
all of the painted wood walls.