The document summarizes information about various chateaus located along the Loire River in France. It discusses the House of Valois and Bourbon royal dynasties that ruled France and lived in the chateaus. Many chateaus were originally built as fortresses and were later expanded and developed as summer homes and residences for royalty in the 15th-17th centuries, especially during the reign of François I. The document provides brief histories and details about individual chateaus including Blois, Chenonceau, Chaumont, Chambord, Amboise, and Versailles.
2. Les Châteaux are located along the Loire
River. They were mostly summer homes of
the royalty and nobility- especially after
François Ier moved the courts back to Paris.
3. House of Valois: (1328-1589)
Charles XII
Louis XI
CharlesVIII
Orléans-Angoulême:1515-1589
François Ier- 1515-1547 (Amboise, Blois, Chambord)
Henri II- 1547-1559 (Amboise, Cheverny, Chaumont, Chenonceau)
François II
Charles IX
Henri III
Bourbon: 1589-1792
Henri IV
Louis XIII
Louis XIV (Le Palais de Versailles)
Louis XV
Louis XVI
1er Republique: 1792-1804 (La Révolution Française)
Napoléon Bonaparte
5. 13th-17th Century
Counts of Blois
Duc d’Orléans- 1391
Louis XII- favorite
Gothic and Renaissance
François I- 1515- was
going to move to Blois
from Amboise. Built a new
wing with spiral staircase
Ransacked during French
Revolution
6. Henri II gave it to his mistress,
Diane de Poitiers, who sold it
back to the former owner’s
family.
The family (Hurault) still owns
it and opened it to the public
in 1922.
It’s decorated in the style of
the 17th century.
A pack of 70 hunting dogs
are still there.
7. Founded in the
10th Century as
a fortress,
destroyed,
rebuilt in the
15th Century.
Aquired by
Catherine de
Médici in 1560.
After Henri II’s
death, she
forced Diane de
Poitiers to
switch castles
with her in
1559.
Donated to the
government in
1938- is a
museum.
8. Original built in 1430- destroyed except for
the keep.
Henri II gave it to Diane de Poitiers. She
built the arched bridge.
Henri II’s wife, Catherine de Médici forced
her to move to Chaumont and then she lived
there.
“Château des Dames” for the history of
France, built in 1513 by Katherine Briçonnet
and successively made more attractive by
Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de Médicis,
Chenonceau was spared from the hardships
of the Revolution by Madame Dupin.
This feminine imprint is present throughout,
having preserved the castle from conflicts
and wars and made it a haven of peace ever
since.
Served as a hospital during the war
L: Diane’s bedroom.
B: Catherine’s
bedroom.
9. Largest Chateau-
1519
Built to be a
hunting cabin for
François I- near
his mistress
Rarely used and
not near town, so
all food had to be
brought in.
Difficult to heat.
Decorative.
Unfurnished.
French
Renaissance style
The Château de
Chambord displays
a unique
silhouette, with its
156 metre façade,
426 rooms,
77 staircases,
282 fireplaces and
800 sculpted
capitals.
François I-
returned from Italy
with Leonardo da
Vinci
Stored artwork
during WW2
11. Loire valley in
Amboise
French
Renaissance
Saint Hubert
chapel, a
masterpiece of
extravagant gothic
architecture, which
houses the tomb of
Leonardo da Vinci
The son of Louis
XI, Charles VIII-
lived in it and
updated to Italian
style- died there in
1498
François I- was
raised there.
Henri II- was
raised there.
A lot demolished
12. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85
2eroBwDrA
Begun in 1664 for the
Sun King- Louis XIV
1682- Louis XIV moved
the court from Paris to
Versailles.
French Revolution- Louis
XVI, Marie Antoinette-
had to move to Les
Tuileries in Paris.
Napoleon
Lived at the
Grand Trianon
