“Like a classical nymph,
Chenonceau dips its bare
feet into clear waters of the
Cher, turning its dreamy
face to the sunset…”
Alfred McMahon
Château de Chenonceau must be one of the most photographed château in the Loire Valley, and we shot hundreds of photos from every angle. All of photos of the châteaux, and none of each other, I later noticed.
The five arches across the Cher reflect so beautifully, the combinations of light and water which are endlessly stunning, from dawn to dusk.
Each element of the towering architecture interplays with each other giving beguiling, hypnotic views.
Chenonceau has a history, mostly including women with great vision, deep pockets, style, and intrigue.
The royal château and “Château des Dames” was originally a modest manor house built in 1230 by the Bohier family, then rebuilt from 1513 by Katherine Briçonnet, Diane de Poitiers, Catherine de Medici, Louise de Lorraine, Madame Pelouze, and now the Meniers family.
Five hundred years of history all covered in one sentence.
Chenonceau Castle is an exceptional site and it literally takes your breath away, leaving words a poor substitute for the mystery it conveys.
Flanked by two formal gardens, woods, a waxwork museum, an old keep, its four magnificent Renaissance corner towers, are a photographer’s dream and truly aristocratic.
The five arches that cross the Cher River were to originally house a 200-foot-long ballroom, but now house a gallery with a fireplace at either end.
What amazing ambitions men have…
We didn't make the time for a boat ride, but had to press on before dark which was another unintended mistake.
My heartbeat thumped as I approached the drawbridge with just imagining what took place there sending the adrenaline rushing around my blood like warm syrup.
The sound of that bridge being drawn up must have invoked a deep terror in those who were besieged, with their fate in God’s hands.
I stood where hundreds of people would have crossed, and stared at my feet hoping to feel their footsteps underneath mine. This chateaux was a jewel indeed, and men must have spent sleepless nights planning on how to possess her.
It occurred to me that most beautiful places man had ever created must have been the most fought over, and this was a supreme example.
I begrudgingly tore myself away from the bridge and ventured inside into cold dimly lit, and huge empty rooms, which overall, were disappointing and a bit boring.
They had probably been plundered long ago, the lot sold, then distributed all over the world, which was an interesting story and worth researching one day.
Back outside, I longed to row under the arches, following the black swans that graced the moat. Each one looked like a knight still cast under a spell, and I wanted to be a maiden.
Next time, perhaps.