Chenonceau and the original cougar

Our class went to the château Chenonceau (pronounced Sh-non-so) last weekend. It is a beautiful castle on the Cher River that was built in the middle ages and is situated not far from where I'm studying in Loire Valley. I didn't do any research to the history of the castle before going. On the way back to Tours I became intrigued by the history I was reading.

The first page of the guidebook has the heading "château of Chenonceau, the ladies' château" and as you flip through the most of the pages, you realize that the history of Chenonceau belongs more to the women of the French aristocracy than it did to the kings.

Most of the rooms bear the names of the woman who lived in Chenonceau throughout the years and its their lives who gave the château meaning and character.

In 1547 after the death of his father, Henri II offered Chenonceau to his beloved and mistress Diane de Poitiers. Diane was 20 years older than him and had known him and mentored him since he was a child! The original 'cougar' - Diane de Poitiers!

She had the most beautiful feature of Chenonceau built when she extended the château to connect to the opposite bank of the river. It is an interesting and unexpected feature and when you look out through the windows in that part of the château and the flow of the Cher river induces calm.

Diane wielded considerable power at court and influenced Henri's political decisions. Around Chenonceau one can observe the initials of Henri II and his wife Catherine de Medici, but the letters H and C are interwoven in such a way to form the D of Diane.

 >> me in the gallery overlooking the Cher!

I admired Chenonceau for its architecture the most. There wasn't much furniture inside the château as the kings of France moved often from château to château during the Middle Ages. This was done so the king could see and visit the common people all throughout his kingdom. It is said that the change to a permanent residence at Versailles for later kings of France helped contribute to the downfall of the monarchy because the king had lost touch with the people.

Most rooms, like I said, were minimally furnished and looked the same with a small square bed with a canopy and tapestries from Flanders decorating the walls. 

My favorite room was Louise of Lorraine's. The walls were painted instead in dark grey color with white accents of mourning objects such as silver tears, crowns of thorns, and widow's cordons, since she retired to Chenonceau after the death of her husband Henri III.

There is also a prie-dieu in Louise's room. A prie-dieu is a wooden structure designed to aid one in praying situated in front of a tall windo, which I thought was interesting!

 >>my friend Kaitie tryin' out the prie-dieu!

Tomorrow my class is going on another excursion to the châteaux Azay-le-Rideau and Villandry also located in the Loire Valley, the premier hotspot for châteaux in France.