Intriguing Chateau Amboise
Written: May 26 '01 (Updated May 26 '01)
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Pros: Rich history, beauty, only three hours from Paris
Cons: none
The Bottom Line: Amboise, and the entire Loire Valley is a fascinating, historically significant, and beautiful part of France . I wish we had more time to spend in this region!
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| RobinLynn's Full Review: Loire Valley |
The Loire Valley is one of the most interesting and beautiful areas in France. Its historical significance is evident while touring the area, with all of its castles and chateaux. The area is noted for its stories of romance, drama and intrigue, all related to the French aristocracy and its kings, since this is where they built many of their “getaways”, hunting lodges and even “love nests” for their mistresses.
Part of the fun in visiting this area is being able to actually stay in a real chateau or castle. We recently had a fabulous stay at the Chateau de Noizay, in the area of the Loire Valley known as the Touraine, meaning in the region dominated by the city of Tours. It is believed that the Touraine dialect is the most pure and perfect version of the French language.
Our chateau-hotel was ideally located about five minutes outside of the fascinating town of Amboise, which is dominated by its wonderful fifteenth century chateau. Chateau Amboise reached its zenith during the reign of Francois I, who was a patron of Leonardo da Vinci. He was trying to help establish much of the beauty and art of the Italian Renaissance in France, and this Chateau is a beautiful architectural example of this attempt.
The original chateau was built around 1115 by Hugues d’Amboise. At the beginning of the fourteenth century the family divided into two branches, the elder retaining Amboise, the younger settling at another famous Chateau in the area, Chaumont.
But the family fell on hard times after Louis d’Amboise had been arrested for conspiracy, and the chateau became the royal property of Charles VII. Subsequent kings added on and modernized the chateau, and a huge building program was launched in the late fourteen hundreds.
Following a victorious campaign in Italy, Charles VIII returned in 1496 with twenty-two Italian artists and many famous Renaissance designers, sculptors, and carpenters, who all worked to transform Amboise into a luxurious palace. But as luck would have it, two years later, Charles was dead, having cracked his head on a doorway in the Chateau!
A future king, Francois I had a special affection for the castle and completed another wing, and installed Leonardo da Vinci nearby at Clos-Luce. It is here that Leonardo da Vinci drew up plans for Chambord, another Chateau about fifty miles away, which is the largest of the Loire Valley chateax.
The small house where Leonardo lived is a delight to visit. It was fascinating seeing his kitchen, living room, and his bed chamber. It is here where he died on May 2, 1519. There is a painting of him dying in the arms of Francois, but many believe it was a figment of the artist’s imagination, since most historians believe that Francois was away at the time of Leonardo’s death. An underground tunnel was recently discovered, which allowed Francois to visit Leonardo whenever he so chose.
There is an interesting display here, with replicas taken from his drawings, of some inventions he tried to design. They include a flying machine, a machine gun, cannon, and even an early design for an internal combustion engine! His body now rests in the Chapel of St. Hubert, in the chateau, which in itself is an elegant fifteenth century building built in the flamboyant Gothic style.
A very dramatic event took place at Chateau Amboise in the sixteenth century. There was a Protestant conspiracy against the king, after he oulawed the practicing of this new faith in France. The French Protestants, known as Huguenots, tried to capture the town and the king himself. When they failed, more than 1300 prisoners were hung from the balconies of the Chateau. The king forbade anyone from removing the bodies for several weeks, as a grim reminder of what happened to those who disobeyed him.
In the subsequent centuries, the chateau was a prison and parts of it were later destroyed. But much still remains, and many rooms have been restored to their former glories.
The stories of the fascinating history of this Chateau make visiting here enthralling. The Chateau is a magnificent example of Gothic and Renaissance architecture, and still houses an exceptional collection of furniture which has been lovingly restored. Add to this the splendid views of the town and surrounding countryside from the top rooms and balconies, and this was one of the most wonderful days we had on our trip. Even the town of Amboise was very enjoyable and picturesque, with some lovely restaurants and some nice shops. I would heartily recommend a full day of visiting here , to anyone planning a trip to this story-book perfect part of France.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
Best Time to Travel Here: Mar - May
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Epinions.com ID:
RobinLynn
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Location: Parkland, Florida
Reviews written: 192
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About Me:
My loves are my wonderful family, our amazing grandsons, and travel.
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