Chenonceau - the ladies' château

I had to insert this aerial photo from their website, as it gives a good idea of the layout of this feminine château, one of the most visited in the Loire and recognisable due to its location across the river Cher.  The garden on the top is the one of Diane, the one at the bottom the one of Catherine.  The tower building was the donjon.  You enter from the ticket office from the left, passing through a tree lined avenue, then entering through two sphinx before entering the open space in the center of the photo.

On its right (not visible on the aerial photo) are buildings which hosts a self service restaurant and behind it a more upmarket restaurant (with good food and reasonable prices, but you'll be lucky to find a table!).

The restaurant:

One of the most interesting facts of this château is that during WWII the one side of the river was occupied by the Germans, the other side was free, part of France not occupied by Germany.  Fascinating that one could be so close to freedom, yet so far!
The first castle was built in the 13th century, as a fortified mill.  The Cher was an important source for transporting building material, salt, wine and other goods.  During the 100 year war the castle was occupied by the English and was destroyed when the French retook it whereafter it was rebuilt. 
After financial difficulty of the owners, the castle became the property of Thomas Bohier, secretary of king Charles VIII and also serving in the administration of king Louis XII and François I.  His wife, Catherine Briçonnet, also from a rich family, liked to entertain the royalty at Chenonceau, including François I.  Thomas and his wife undertook a lot of work at Chenonceau.  They have destroyed the ancient castle, keeping only the donjon, and building a new castle and the walls along the river you can still see today.

 

 

It was mainly Catherine who oversaw the work while her husband was absent for long periods for work.  Thomas died in 1824 and Catherine two years alter.  Due to financial difficulty they had by the time of their death, François I confiscated the castle in 1835, paying an amount to the couple's son.

King Henri II offered the castle to his mistress, Diane de Poitiers.  After his death in 1559 his wife, Catherine de Médicis claimed the castle from Diane, offering her the castle in Chaumont-sur-Loire in exchange (a pretty castle between Blois and Amboise).
Both these ladies made changes to the castle. Diane had a bridge constructed across the Cher and a beautiful garden. 

Catherine installed two galleries over the bridge and her own garden, in a different style than that of Diane.

 

In 1733 a rich farmer, Claude Dupin, bought the castle.  His second wife, Louise Dupin, was responsible for the difference in spelling of the town, Chenonceaux, and the castle, Chenonceau.  They entertained famous people like Voltaire and Rousseau in the castle.  During the French Revolution she saved the castle buy camouflaging the little chapel as a storeroom for wood.  The original windows were destroyed during WWII when a bomb dropped not far from Chenonceau.
During WWI the castle served as a military hospital, treating more than 2 000 wounded soldiers.
For me it is one of the prettiest castles and the rooms give you a good idea of what it looked like during its former glory of entertaining royalty. 

 The kitchen offers insight in preparing meals for those big fêtes.

A final word of advice - unless if you are fit and used to cycle for a distance, rather go by car to Chenonceau than by bicycle (like we did in 2009 from Amboise to Chenonceau...). Although it is a pretty (hilly) road as you cycle through the wood and small villages, passing rustic farms.