The Tour of the Loire Valley covered an area of outstanding beauty...
On the first day a small town of Amboise the impressive Royal Chateau with a wealth of medieval history which is high above the town.
A UNESCO site which is perched on a promontory overlooking the Loire, the castle of Charles VIII and Francis I reveals its medieval secrets little by little: part of its underground passageways and the majestic Minimes cavalry tower. Surrounded by landscaped gardens, this highly significant site in the history of France also houses an exceptional collection of Gothic and Renaissance furniture. The tomb of Leonardo da Vinci, who spent his final years in Amboise, is located in the chapel.
Later on the more commercial center of the town of Tours which houses its Gothic cathedral and impressive basilica. Its history dates back to Caesar....The busy center houses the Galerie du Metropole, Galerie du Palais, a beautiful city.
The drive to Fontevraud found us situated in the village square where we shouldn't be... oh dear.
The Abbey of Fontevraud founded in the 1101 which was the most wealthiest and largest monastery in France now represents a museum of Art.
It houses memories of many...but the most famous are Henry II and Richard the Lionheart. The deserving and the undeserving memories are housed here.
Abbey Fontevraud 1101, an abbey which survived the pillage of the French Revolution..it houses the remains of Henry II and his son Richard the Lion heart. After the revolution, it remained empty; it was eventually put up for sale and Napoleon Bonaparte purchased the property and converted it into a prison panotocian style.
In 1965 the prison was closed but the prisoners restored the building to its present state, an art museum with no religious connection other than its history-which takes it back to medieval times. Which was unusual as the Abbey housed monks and nuns under the same roof. The prisoners observed the same rights as nuns the vow of silence.
The outcome of the morning was absolutely fantastic
http://www.abbayedefontevraud.com/
Now on to the commercial wine making town Samaur which also houses a chateau.
A Castle-palace of the Dukes of Anjou in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, the Château de Saumur, in where King René resided, it is the latest example of the princely palaces built by the Valois dynasty. Its history covers the residence of the governors of the City prison, followed by deposition of weapons and ammunition, it was purchased by the City in 1906 to house the municipal museum, Musée de France today. Now rich in collections distributed are discovered old apartments of the Dukes of Anjou and the abbey in a teaching museum.
A valuable time spent here reflecting on the past royals.
Looked at what could be pressies the French love their kids lovely fragrances jewelry etc. Clothes galore reduced..
The next day followed a castle Chateau De Chenonceau. Property of the Crown, then royal residence, Chenonceau Castle is an exceptional site not only because of its original design, the richness of its collections, its furniture and its decorations, but also because of its destiny, since it was loved, administrated and protected by women, who were all extraordinary and who, for the most part have marked history.
An outstanding Château which is by the River Cher.Chenonceau Castle has an exceptional museum collection of the Old Masters’ paintings: Murillo, Le Tintoret, Nicolas Poussin, Le Corrège, Rubens, Le Primatice, Van Loo... as well as an extremely rare selection of Flanders Tapestries from the 16th century.
For the historical background, the “Château des Dames” was built in 1513 by Katherine Briçonnet, and successively embellished by Diane de Poitiers then Catherine de Medici. Chenonceau was protected from the hardship of the revolution by Madame Dupin. The iron, but very feminine, fist in the velvet glove has always preserved Chenonceau during times of conflict and war in order to make it forever a place of peace.
Then Villandry Château and gardens. A fortress that was originally built in the 1189.
| Villandry is a of the Rennaissance period in a beautiful setting among three tiers of terraced gardens. It was the last of the great Renaissance chateaux to be built on the banks of the Loire, and its architecture combines with gardens laid out on three levels, its best-known feature, in a happy marriage of beauty, diversity, and harmony. |
The box hedges of the ornamental garden form musical symbols, but pride of place is given to hearts, scrolls, butterflies, fans... allegories of love - tender, passionate, fickle and tragic.
The water gardens takes centre stage, with the sound of the fountains and the great lawned spaces bringing a feeling of calm and tranquillity. Which is needed after the exploration of the gardens maze.
A large herb garden, with its medicinal and culinary plants.
In the 1900's the present family brought Villandry back to its original Renaissance style. Villandry has been in the Carvallo family since 1906. It was Joachim Carvallo, a Spaniard, and his American wife, Ann Coleman, they took the property back to the former glory. Building it in the style of a chateau of the 1500's (in the 1800's it was under new ownership a man from Provence who changed its windows and internal decor to the comfort of this period).
A place of outstanding beauty- the French taught me of love with their beautiful garden.
This afternoon we visited the world heritage site of Orleans France. An outstanding cathedral renowned for its outstanding beauty Sante-Croix Cathedral. The construction of the Sainte-Croix Cathedral in Orleans France began in the late 13th century. It was subsequently destroyed by the French Huguenots (Protestants) in 1568 and later rebuilt. The ornate building is one of France's most beautiful buildings.The facade of Orlean's Sainte-Croix Cathedral (Cathédrale Sainte-Croix) closely resembles Notre Name Cathedral in Paris France. The storyline of Joan d'Arc where a 17 year old led her armyagainst Henry VI...the stained glass windows reveal the stories of her victories.
I lit a candle and said a prayer paid a sub- 'Thank you (for giving me) the space to pray...So I may live another day...' . Later I was chased out the cathedral by a doorman who chased me out the door expecting more money..
The story goes the man was a beggar fellow holidaymakers told the same story. Except for one who expanded on the story that he was seen to be urinating against the cathedral entrance...
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