Loire Valley
This gallery contains my pictures of Ambrose, Villandry, Chateau de Chenonceau, Chateau De La Tortiniere, and Château de Valençay in the Loire Region.
Ambroise sits on the southern back of the Loire River. While it has a fortified Chateau overlooking the city, it is best known as the place where Leonardo da Vinci died. During the revolution where the crowds destroying things that represent the old order, when they came to da Vinci’s old house the mayor made an impassioned plea for them to spare the structure. So eloquent was his words that the crowds left leaving the house untouched. Today it is one of the best attractions in Ambroise, with restored rooms and scale models of many of da Vinci’s inventions.
The Ornamental Gardens of Villandry are composed of several gardens, a herb and vegetable garden, water garden, ornamental hedge garden, and ornamental flower garden.
The Chateau de Chenonceau is in excellent shape and it has been restored to it’s 16th century with furniture from the period. The gardens are also in excellent condition. During the revolution the peasantry who held Madame Dupin (the owner) in great esteem stopped the revolutionary guard from destroying the chateau. Additionally in World War II the gallery crossing the River Cher was made into a hospital and many escaping from the German controlled side to the Vichy side made their escape through this gallery.
There is also a pix of the Chateau De La Tortiniere which was our hotel for our stay in the Tours region.
Château de Valençay - This was the home of Talerant, who was Napoleons Foreign Minister. The home is beautiful with it gardens and restored interiors. It was interesting to find that Talerant loved to host lavish dinner (and Napoleon did not) with ambassadors and other guests. After the party he would quiz the serving staff on what the “honored guests” were talking about. Since the nobility ignored the staff, they were the perfect spies to get information from.
Read MoreAmbroise sits on the southern back of the Loire River. While it has a fortified Chateau overlooking the city, it is best known as the place where Leonardo da Vinci died. During the revolution where the crowds destroying things that represent the old order, when they came to da Vinci’s old house the mayor made an impassioned plea for them to spare the structure. So eloquent was his words that the crowds left leaving the house untouched. Today it is one of the best attractions in Ambroise, with restored rooms and scale models of many of da Vinci’s inventions.
The Ornamental Gardens of Villandry are composed of several gardens, a herb and vegetable garden, water garden, ornamental hedge garden, and ornamental flower garden.
The Chateau de Chenonceau is in excellent shape and it has been restored to it’s 16th century with furniture from the period. The gardens are also in excellent condition. During the revolution the peasantry who held Madame Dupin (the owner) in great esteem stopped the revolutionary guard from destroying the chateau. Additionally in World War II the gallery crossing the River Cher was made into a hospital and many escaping from the German controlled side to the Vichy side made their escape through this gallery.
There is also a pix of the Chateau De La Tortiniere which was our hotel for our stay in the Tours region.
Château de Valençay - This was the home of Talerant, who was Napoleons Foreign Minister. The home is beautiful with it gardens and restored interiors. It was interesting to find that Talerant loved to host lavish dinner (and Napoleon did not) with ambassadors and other guests. After the party he would quiz the serving staff on what the “honored guests” were talking about. Since the nobility ignored the staff, they were the perfect spies to get information from.
