Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Château de Chenonceau


In France lies the Loire Valley, home of many castles and historic towns. While I was there, I was able to visit a few, but my favorite by far was the Château de Chenonceau which lies over the river Cher. It was also known as "Château de Femmes" or the "Castle of the Six Ladies" for the succession of French women who owned it. Originally the castle did not extend over the river, nor did it have the elaborate gardens. These were added over time, each owner adding her own unique improvements which created the beautiful castle seen today.

One of the things that impressed me the most while visiting was that during the French Revolution it was not attacked by the people living in the nearby village of Chenonceaux. In fact, the Castle and its inhabitants were so loved by the peoplein the village, that they defended it during the war.

2 comments:

  1. Vive la France...
    Nice shot and good view of the castle. The woman who owned this place was a lucky one!

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  2. Hard to believe this is considered to be one of the smaller castles! When I was there, I wanted to get a shot that showed the gallery over the water. It was the only way to share the beauty of the design.

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