Parks drowning in greenery, small villages, and ancient castles – these are the main attractions of the Loire River Valley. Historians call it the edge of bread and wine, poets – the wedding dress of France, these places are so magnificent and romantic.
Over the last thousand years, in the valley of the Loire River, representatives of the French nobility erected more than a hundred castles. Many are perfectly preserved to this day. Today we will tell you about the most famous of them: ambuas, Blois and Shennso.
Castle Halm (on the map)
Initially, the fortification erected in the 10th century belonged to the Ambuaz shomon dynasty, but later this clan was accused of conspiracy against the ruler, and the castle and all the possessions confiscated in favor of the royal house.
The King of France, which grew up in these places, started a full -scale reconstruction of the castle and made it his residence. To do this, he invited Italian architects Domenico da Corton and Fra Jocondo.
The castle reached its heyday in the era of the reign of Francis I. At that time, Charlotte Savoy, the wife of the ruler, lived here. Especially for her and the heir born in the walls of the heir, the king started a large construction site: he reconstructed the castle and erected new richly decorated buildings.
From then and until 1518, the ambulance has become the center of secular life. There were luxurious balls, knight tournaments, magnificent festivities with masquerades and feasts. In 1515, Leonardo da Vinci, the genius of the Italian Renaissance, settled near the small estate of Klo-Lusa. Here he completed his work on the “Jaconda” and soon died. They buried the famous artist and inventor in the chapel of St. Hubert right on the territory of the castle.
In 1660, ambuas lost the status of a royal residence, which quickly affected his condition. At first, most of the outbuildings were dismantled, thereby reducing the territory of the castle five times. And then they completely plundered completely, it happened already during the Great French Revolution.
Since 1974, Halmias Castle has been under the guardianship of the St. Louis National Fund. The organization is engaged in the restoration of the palace and the parks surrounding it.
From the capital of France, you can get to the old royal residence by car or by train, which departs from the Austerlitan station five times a day. Travel time will be about 3 hours. The ticket cost is 28 euros. The train comes from Orlean for only an hour, and a ticket can be bought for 16.5 euros.
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Summer evenings tourists come to an outpatient clinic to look at the costume light music show “Walks under the Starry Heaven.” Inside the castle and in the richly decorated garden, artists play scenes from the life of the court of King Francis I. The show in the garden is accompanied by audiovisual effects with a laser projection.
Excursions on the castle are available all year round, groups are formed right on the spot. The input ticket costs from 6.5 to 9.5 euros, depending on the season. The clock hours are also changing: from November to March, visitors are allowed from 9 a.m. to 17 pm, and in the midst of the tourist season, the castle is open three hours longer.
Blois Castle (on the map)
The largest of the castles of the Loire was laid in the XIII century. The first owner of the palace was Louis Orleans. His grandson Louis XII ascended the throne and made a generic nest by the royal residence. So the castle became the center of political life. Here the king accepted international delegations, concluded a truce and planned new military operations.
The “Golden Age” of the palace did not last long. Soon the castle fell into decay. A little revival reigned in Blois during the time of Gaston Orleans, who claimed the throne, but did not become a ruler. Having suffered a defeat in a series of court intrigues, the king’s brother was exiled to Blois. Here he concentrated all his efforts on the improvement of the palace, which he could not finish – the money ended.
After the death of Gaston, Orleans, the castle was turned off from the country’s political life. It got to the point that the monarch Louis XVI made a soldier’s barracks from the ownerless palace.
The restoration of Shato Blois began in 1845 under the leadership of architect Duban. In addition to general restoration work, he reconstructed and re -furnished the royal chambers that can be seen during the excursion.
A visit to the castle costs from 4 to 13 euros, depending on the season and the type of ticket. In addition to inspecting the rooms, tourists can visit the Museum of Fine Arts. His exposition is dedicated to the era of Louis of Orleans. Pictures of the masters of the Italian Renaissance, sculptures and subjects of applied creativity – the basis of the exhibition of the Palace Museum. If you plan to visit Blois Castle from May to September, then do not forget to go to the light music show, which takes place daily in the park part of the ensemble.
Book a car
Since Chateau Blois is located almost 200 kilometers from Paris, the easiest way to get to it by car or by train. The cost of traveling by rail will be 25 euros, and the road will take no more than 2 hours of time.
Shenonso castle (on the map)
The Shenonso architectural ensemble is located far from the settlements of the settlements “ladies’ palace.” There were several outstanding women who played an important role in the history of France. One of them Diana de Poitier is the favorite of Henry II. She is known for the Russian audience thanks to the novels of Alexander Dumas. The second is the legendary Catherine Medici, a regent at the young Prince Francis II. In addition, two sons were spent in Shenonso: the future kings of France – Charles IX and Henry III. After the death of Catherine, Henry IV, the husband of Queen Margot and the founder of the most famous royal dynasty of France – Bourbon, who received the title of Duke of Navarre, took possession of the castle. The last of the kings here lived Louis XIV.
After that, the palace several times changed the owners and in 1888 moved to the family of the wealthy industrialist Menier. During the First World War, Gaston Mene allowed to equip a hospital in the castle, where more than 2 thousand people were placed. Now the masterpiece of medieval French architecture belongs to the private owner, but is available for visiting. You can study the interiors of the castle, take a walk in the park and look at the exhibition of wax figures.
It is impossible to get a train to the village of Shenns directly from Paris, you will have to make a transplant at the Saint-Pier-de-Kor station. Tickets will cost approximately 30 euros, and travel time depends on how quickly the transplant occurs. On average, tourists get to the castle in 2.5 hours.
Entrance to the palace (with a visit to the museum of wax figures) costs from 13 euros. It offers audio and video guide in Russian, booklets and brochures with photos and a detailed description of halls and parks. The castle opens at 9 in the morning, and closes depending on the season at 19 or 20 hours.
The Loire Valley castle ensembles are included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. They embody the spirit of medieval France and allow us to imagine how the royal persons of that time lived. The easiest way to visit castles from Paris, where direct flights from Russia are regularly flying. You can get to fortifications both yourself and ordering a bus tour right in the capital of France. The route is designed for 10-12 hours and usually includes a visit from 2 to 5 locks.
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