"The châteaux, numbering more than three hundred in the Loire Valley, started as necessary castle fortifications in the 10th century then the French kings began constructing their huge châteaux here a century later. The nobility, not wanting or even daring to be far from the seat of power, followed suit. Their presence in the lush, fertile valley with its moderate climate, began attracting the very best landscape designers.
"By the middle of the 16th century, King Francois I, had shifted the center of power in France from the Loire back to the ancient capital of Paris. With him went the great architects, but the Loire Valley continued to be the place where most of the French royalty preferred to spend the bulk of their time. The ascension of King Louis XIV in the middle of the 17th century made Paris the permanent site for great royal châteaux when he built the Palace of Versailles. Nonetheless, those who gained the king's favour and the wealthy bourgeoisie, continued to renovate existing châteaux or build lavish new ones as their summer residence in the Loire.
"The French Revolution saw a number of the great French châteaux destroyed and many ransacked, their treasures stolen. The overnight impoverishment of many of the deposed nobility, usually after one of its members lost their head to the guillotine, saw many châteaux demolished. During World War I and World War II, some chateaux were commandeered as military headquarters. Some of these continued to be used this way after the end of WWII.
"Today, these privately owned châteaux serve as homes, a few opening their doors to tourist visits. Many have been taken over by a local government authority or the giant structures like those at Chambord are owned and operated by the national government and are major tourist sites, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors each year."
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My father in law thinks that this is "the best castle in the world." He, more than anyone else I know, is actually in a position to have an opinion about which castle is the "best in the world." Both Raph and I respectfully disagree. There is no question that Chambord is gorgeous, and unparalleled in scale, but there was something too overwhelming, and even confusing or disorienting about it. Too many small details on too large a scale, and a very weird interior layout. It was like the opposite of feng shui. Also, compared to the other castles we visited, the interior was fairly blah. Nonetheless, Chambord was the perfect castle to start the tour with, because it was the biggest and I think the most famous. And yes, there is a liqueur with the same name, which, according to their website, was produced from the Loire valley during the 17th century, and was introduced to King Louis XIV during one of his visits to Chambord. If I recall correctly from the exhibit at the castle, it was the national liqueur of france at one point in time.
Here is a link to our photos. Enjoy!
