The chateau de Chenonceau is among the prettiest of castles in the French Loire Valley because it has the particularity of being perched over the river Cher (called enjambant in French). It was once the residence of Diane de Poitiers, favourite mistress to Henry II, who oversaw the project to improve and expand the chateau's structure and gardens. However, the king's demise saw the poor Diane chased out of the castle by the then queen Catherine of Medici and regent to the throne. Catherine did further improvements with her italian taste and the rest was history. the two sides of the gardens still reflect the different tastes of the two women today...
the entrance by the moat
Christmas is always a good time to visit chateaux because they could be decorated for the festive season. Above a decorated tree in the ticketing office. https://www.chenonceau.com/chateau-renaissance/histoire/
a pair of seraphines guard the entrance...
row of christmas lit trees leading to the main entrance
the weather was morn and chilly - at minus 1 degrees with wet winds
one needs to cross a bridge over the river to access to the entrance
the bridge overlooking the Cher river
very nice indeed
the entrance hall with typical vaulted gothic ceilings
view from the garden
some italian sense of aesthetics from the Medici influence?
the vast symmetrical garden a la francaise by Diane de Poitiers
the hallmark of Chenonceau - the bridge-structured foundation
the wilder gardens of Catherine of Medici
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