We had found a camping at the river Cher, just above the Castle of Chenonceau. (Camping le Moulin Fort) We could go for a swim in the river and in the evening, we took the bikes to get a first glimpse of the famous castle.
Thomas Bohier, Chamberlain to King Charles VIII of France and his wife Katherine Briçonnet built the château in 1514 on the foundations of an old mill. In 1547, Henry II offered the château as a gift to his mistress, Diane de Poitiers, who became fervently attached to the château and had an arched bridge built to the other side of the river.
After King Henry II died in 1559, his strong-willed widow and regent Catherine de’ Medici forced Diane to move out. Queen Catherine then made Chenonceau her own favourite residence, adding a new series of gardens. She had a gallery built on top of the bridge, which served for many spectacular parties at Chenonceau.
Henry IV obtained Chenonceau for his mistress Gabrielle d’Estrées, and it later came into possession of her son, the Duke of Vendôme and his successors. In 1733 the estate was sold to a wealthy squire named Claude Dupin. His wife and later widow Louise Dupin saved the château from destruction during the French Revolution.
In 1864 Marguerite Pelouze, a rich heiress, acquired the château and restored it thoroughly. In 1891 José-Emilio Terry, a Cuban millionaire, acquired Chenonceau from Madame Pelouze and in 1913, the château went to Henri Menier, a member of the Menier family, famous for their chocolates, who still own it to this day.
Henri’s brother, Gaston, transformed Chenonceau into a military hospital for the duration of the Great War. During the Second World War, the Grand Gallery at Chenonceau became the sole point of access to the free zone of France, and the Menier family helped to smuggle out people fleeing the Nazi tyranny.
We were surprised by the exquisite flower arrangements which decorated every room. We later found out that this is a tradition of more than 20 years. Two florists, in charge of the extensive flower gardens, are creating them, so that you can imagine you are a guest of an inhabited home.
We were very much impressed by this beautiful château, where so many important women had left their traces. The gallery crossing the river provides unique rooms for big events on 2 levels, and it is easy to imagine, what grand parties took place here.
Even as it was again a very hot day, we wanted to visit a second castle in the Loire valley and decided on Azay-le-Rideau – more next.