Chambord

Chambord is a sixteenth century castle, the largest and grandest of its kind. Built principally by Francois I, Leonardo da Vinci is known to have assisted not only in the original design of the building but also in the grand staircase. The main portion of the building is in the shape of a Greek cross. The staircase, not pictured here, is a helix, a double spiral with hollow center. There is also a roof terrace for viewing the grand array of ornaments seen at the top of this photo.

Michelin

Cheverny

Sorry, Rick, to catch you with your eyes closed!

I remember Cheverny as the château with the gorgeous interior. The story we were told by the guide was that the owners, the Hurault family, sympathized with the revolution, and so the interior was not looted and ruined as was the case with most of the renaissance buildings belonging either to the Church or to the aristocracy.

The decoration of Cheverny is stunning. To my American eyes, it was not always clear what was a tapestry, a wall-covering, a painting, paneling painted with guilt to resemble a picture frame or an actual framed painting hung on the wall. I must say the guilt, figurative designs of flowers and scrolling were my favorites. The amount of time that must have been spent by highly skilled artisans painting these beautiful, intricate designs would be unthinkable today. It is a window into the social and economic chasm between the working class and the aristocracy and what must have been the building pressure for revolution in France. Cheverny is known best for its tapestries and furniture, but the decoration painted on paneling and as mosaics on bare walls and ceilings was the thing I will never forget.

Michelin

Villandry

This is my triptych of Rick's and my photos of the gardens at Villandry. The bottom section is actually a repeat of the garden in the top photo. The garden omitted is the wonderful checkerboard of green and red lettuce plots with rose trees. Just incredible!

The Château is late Renaissance. The gardens of Villandry were designed by Italian gardeners brought to France by Charles VIII. Joachim de Carvallo, who bought the property in 1906, restored the gardens. The boxwood and yew figure hedges are considered the best example of Renaissance gardens in France.

Michelin