Ladies’ Choice!
January 8, 2022Have you ever seen the show Reign? My wife adored this showed and binged watched it for weeks when it came out on Netflix. She loves the drama! Thus, she really fell in love with the Château de Chenonceau, also known as The Ladies’ Chateau.
This is one of the most famous château in the Loire Valley because of the feud between Katherine and Diane. But, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
Originally, the land housed a chateau owned by Jean Marques, but it was burned to the ground in 1412 as a punishment for acts of sedition. However, Jean Marques would not be discouraged and rebuilt his chateau and mill in 1430. In 1513, Thomas Bohier and his wife Katherine Briçonnet purchased the property and demolished the fortified castle and mill but left the keep standing. It took Bohier 8 years to complete Château de Chenonceau (1521) spanning the river Cher.
In 1535, King Fancis I of France seized the château for unpaid debts to the Crown. Now here’s where it gets good. After King Francis I died, his son, Henry II, gave the château to his mistress, Diane de Poitiers. She commissioned a bridge be built to join the château with the opposite bank which was built between 1556-1559 designed by Philibert de l’Omre. Diane also oversaw the planting of flower and vegetable gardens.
Now we all know that television shows may not always be accurate in their depiction of the times. However, it is rumored that Queen Catherine de’Medici was not happy with Diane de Poitiers’ position as mistress. Supposedly, Queen Catherine had a portrait of herself hanging over the fireplace in the mistress’ chamber and had designs of the letters H and C placed all over the mantle of the fireplace to remind Diane of her station.
After King Henry II died in 1559, Queen Catherine was not going to allow Diane any peace. She force Diane to exchange the favored Château de Chenonceau for the Château Chaumont. Queen Catherine then took up residence in Château de Chenonceau adding even more luxuriant gardens. Queen Catherine used the château to hold extravagant parties including the first ever fireworks demonstration in France in 1560 when her son Francis II ascended to the throne.
Upon Catherine’s death, in 1589, her daughter Louise of Lorraine took ownership of the château. Eight months after her acquisition of the property, Louise learned that her husband, King Henry III, was assassinated. Louise remained on the property in mourning for next 11 years. It was said that she was terribly depressed and wandered aimlessly through the château’s corridors always dressed in mourning clothes, ensuring that black tapestries stitched with skulls and crossbones lined the walls. You can still see her desperation in the decor of her bedroom.
While this château boasts one heck of a back story, thus attracting my wife’s attention, the actual construction of the château is quite magnificent. I took the time to capture its beauty over the river, even earned a stern whistling from the guards for standing on the rock wall to take my photos. NOTE, do not sit or stand on the rock wall lining the gardens.
The gardens are displayed with BOTH Diane’s and Catherine’s influence. The château may not be the largest, but its beauty is undeniable.
