Chateaux of the Loire Valley - France
The châteaux, numbering more than three hundred, represent a nation of builders starting with the necessary castle fortifications in the 10th century to the splendor of those built half a millennium later. When the French kings began constructing their huge châteaux here, the nobility, not wanting or even daring to be far from the seat of power, followed suit. Their presence in the lush, fertile valley began attracting the very best landscape designers.
Château de Valençay.
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 open their doors to tourist visits, while others are operated as hotels or bed and breakfasts. 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. ( source Wikipedia )
Around the World (9) - Castles of the Loire - part 1 (France)
Castles of the Loire are architectural structures, in most cases built or substantially rebuild during the French Renaissance - the time when the French kings lived by the great river, its tributaries or near them (XV-XVI century). Most castles still keep their roots in the Middle Ages, preserving the architectural pattern of that time. Plenty of great architectural and historical monuments in this part of the Loire Valley in France are determined to enter into the World Heritage List of UNESCO. The most famous castles are the following: Chateau d'Amboise, Azay-le-Rideau, Chateau de Blois, Chateau de Chambord, Chateau de Cheverny, Chateau de Chateaudun, Chateau de Chaumont, Chateau de Chenonceau, Chateau de Chinon, Chateau de Loches, Chateau de Langeais, Chateau de Saumur, Chateau de Valencay, Chateau de Villandry.
Palaces and Castles of France
Palaces and Castles of France
Versailles, Chenonceau, Chambord, Élisée, Chantilly, Carcassonne, Tau, Vitré, Beynac, Haut-Koenigsbourg, Plessis-Bourré, Sully-sur-Loire, Villandry, Luxembourg, Saumur, Chaumont, Rambouillet, Vaux le Vicomte, Popes´ Palace, Fontainebleau, Cheverny, Fougères, Pierrefonds, Bannes, Langeais, Auzers, Valençay and Rohan
Châteaux of the Loire Valley
The Châteaux of the Loire Valley are part of the architectural heritage of the historic towns of Amboise, Angers, Blois, Chinon, Montsoreau, Nantes, Orléans, Saumur, and Tours along the Loire River in France. They illustrate Renaissance ideals of design in France.
By the middle of the 16th century, King François 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 to the throne 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 his or her 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 World War II.
Today, these privately owned châteaux serve as homes, a few open their doors to tourist visits, while others are operated as hotels or bed and breakfasts. 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.
tags: France, Europe, places, touristic, travel, tourism, tourist, trip, travelling, traveller, backpacker, palace, castle, guide, history, architecture, european, Versailles, Chenonceau, Chambord, Loire Valley, Reims, Paris, Élisée, Royal, Tour, Chantilly, Carcassonne, Tau, Vitré, Beynac, Haut-Koenigsbourg, Plessis-Bourré, Sully-sur-Loire, Villandry, Luxembourg, Saumur, Chaumont, european, Paris, Rambouillet, Vaux le Vicomte, Brittany, Château, Palais des Papes, Fontainebleau, Cheverny, Fougères, Palais des Papes, Pope's Palace, Avignon, Provence, Middle Ages, Pierrefonds, Bannes, Langeais, Auzers, Valençay, Rohan-Soubise, gardens, Alsace, Strasbourg, medieval, French Revolution
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