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General information about the Loire Valley:
The Loire Valley traverses two French regions: Centre and Pays-de-la
Loire. The Region of Centre [Centre-Val-de-Loire] is so named for
its central location in France. It is comprised of the departements
of Cher, Eure-et-Loir, Indre, Indre-et-Loire, Loir-et-Cher and Loiret.
To Centre's west is the Region of Pays-de-la-Loire, consisting of
the departements of Loire-Atlantique, Maine-et-Loire, Mayenne, Sarthe
and Vendee.
The Loire Valley is also known as the Chateaux de la Loire [the
Castles of the Loire]. Its' fairytale castles are rich in the renaissance
architecture that was in vogue during the period that saw the castles
renovated and expanded. The renaissance also influenced the magnificent
courtly gardens that abound in the area. The Loire Valley entered
its renaissance period in the 16th century. As elsewhere in Europe,
the period brought with it new, artistic ideas in architecture.
Because of it’s beautiful and game rich forests, the kings
and nobility made this area the preferred habitat for their castles.
Their fairytale castles were nestled in the forests surrounded by
their splendid garden type settings that bordered the winding Loire
river and her tributaries, the Cher, Indrois and Indre. The history,
the grandeur and the beauty, of these architectural wonders is beyond
anything that one can imagine. A visit to a chateau or two, will
leave you awe stricken, actually feeling as though you are a part
of the history that occurred there. A trip to the Loire Valley is
an absolute must. It is quickly accessible, from any part of France,
by train, bus or car. The trains in France are wonderfully comfortable
and fast.
Chambord:
Chambord is located in the region of Centre, departement of Loir-et-Cher.
It is, of course, the most glorious of the chateaux de la Loire.
King Francois I already owned Amboise, Blois and Chenonceaux Castles,
but felt the need for a more elegant hunting lodge than the one
that originally occupied the setting. Thus the King acquired over
10,000 more acres to build this architectural jewel.
Chambord was constructed with 440 rooms and just about as many fireplaces
(that you could walk into). It was constructed with its magnificent,
Italian style double staircase that is believed to have been designed
by Leonardo de Vinci. A person going up or down one staircase would
not meet another going the opposite direction on the other staircase.
The staircase was designed to allow the simultaneous up and down
passage, of both soldiers and horses, in times of siege. Chambord
was quite an undertaking; the treasury was broke, and there was
no money to pay the ransom demanded for the release of Francois’
two sons being held hostage in Spain. But, the construction continued.
Only Francois’ imprisonment, after losing the battle of Pavia,
halted the activity for about a year. The King was so enthusiastic
about his project that he wanted to change the course of the Loire
river to run by Chambord. But, even the King agreed that the cost
was prohibitive. Instead, he had the Cosson river redirected to
flow past the castle. The park, which is enclosed by a wall, has
been a national hunting reserve since 1948. The barrier is reportedly
the longest in France. Chambord is an absolute must to visit.
Blois:
The history of Blois [photos] is interesting. It seems that the
Count of Blois married the daughter of William the Conquerer, and
Stephen, their son, became the King of England, in 1135, while Blois
was still in its prime. The Chateau de Blois’s exterior is
one of the most beautiful of all the chateaux in the region. The
Francois I staircase is a most noted architectural masterpiece.
It is situated in the region of Centre, departement of Loir-et-Cher.Tours:
Tours is the traditional center of the Loire Valley, despite the
lack of any major châteaux in the immediate area. It is a
modern city at the confluence of the Cher and Loire Rivers. Tours
is noted for its old quarter, the Gothic St. Gatien Cathedral, the
Touraine Wine Museum, fine-arts museum and le Château de Plessis
les Tours where Louis XI died. Tours is also the center of the region
in which the standard French language is spoken. That is almost
exactly the same French that I speak, and it made me feel quite
comfortable in that area of France.
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