Château de Chenonceau

The next stop was the "château des dames" or the "ladies' castle" : Chenonceau. This castle is located in the town of Chenonceaux (notice the difference) and was my favorite castle of the weekend. The castle sits on the Cher river, literally! A whole gallery spans the breadth of the river. Vincent told us that during WWII, when northern France was occupied and southern France free, the Cher river made up the border in that region, so obviously resistance fighters used to smuggle goods and people back and forth from free to occupied zones through the castle.

King François I returns yet again to the stage with this castle: he seized the castle from a private owner as payment for a debt. Later, his son, Henri II gave it to his mistress, Diane de Poitiers. After Henri II's gruesome death (by jousting lance to the eye!), his wife, the ever-charming Catherine de Medicis, put Diane out and remained in residence at Chenonceau until her death. After, the castle passed to Louise de Lorraine, wife of Henri III (son of Henri II and Catherine de Medicis). After Louise came Gabrielle d'Estrées, mistress of king Henri IV.

Now you see where "the ladies' castle" gets its nickname. The architecture is also more feminine and delicate than, for example, the imposing, masculine Chambord.

Over the river Cher

The gallery that spans the Cher

This castle also had some of the most beautiful remains of painted floor tiles. The colorful patterns can only be seen around the edges of the rooms and hallways since the rest has been worn away after centuries of traffic.