Major Loire château are not prevalent in the Indre, but there are a few.  Valençay is a  meticulously maintained, decorative structure, rebuilt from its original medieval castle beginning in 1540.  It was never used defensively again, and in the 19th century purchased by Napoléon and occupied by Talleyrand (Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord).  For over twenty-five years it was the center of international diplomacy.  The carpets and furnishings are stunning, especially in the drawing room of the 18th century wing.  Other châteaux of the Indre are Villegonis, (c. 1575) surrounded by a moat,  and Argy with its galleried courtyard, both north of Châteauroux.  And southernmost is Sarzay,  west of Le Châtre, consisting of a keep and only  one remaining tower of its original 38.

The département of Cher (18) is at the southeast corner of the six départements that comprise le Centre.  Only a few châteaux of the Loire are found in this area.  One of the most interesting is Ainay-Le-Vieil  in the town of the same name.  It has medieval outer walls, but inside is a beautiful Renaissance building.  The castle is surrounded by a circular moat, and it is believed its origins are Gallo-Roman built over in the 12th century. In 1530 a chapel was added with frescoes of the mother and wife of the owner.  In the 17th century  scenes of Christ’s life were added that are quite beautiful. South of Bourges, the largest city in Cher, is Château Meillant, with a stair tower in Flamboyant Gothic style.  It was built for Charles II d’Amboise before 1510.  Earlier parts of the château were constructed from 1473 to 1481 for Charles I d’Amboise, and there were 19th century additions.  The roofline is a series of towers and chimneys.  Inside, you will find an intricately carved altarpiece and stained glass in the 16th century chapel. 

Also in the Cher region, north of Bourges, are the ruins of Mehun-sur-Yèvre castle on the River Yèvre in the town of Mehun-sur-Yèvre.  (Joan of Arc stayed in town at 87, rue Jeanne d’Arc.)  Reconstructed by architect Guy de Dammartin between 1367 and 1390, it is believed it once was a massive fort built in the 12th century.   Duke Jean de Berry, brother of the king, commissioned a Book of Hours, and one page shows the castle as it once stood in a depiction entitled  Christ in the Wilderness.  Near Sancerre is Château Boucard, also surrounded by a moat, and built over a two hundred year period beginning in the 14th century.  It has many impressive fireplaces;  the one in the kitchen had a mechanical roasting spit.    The château wings clearly depict two different periods of the French Renaissance, one considered “François I” and the other 'Renaissance classicism'. 

Of course,  the Cher has more to offer than châteaux.  (One must take care not to overdo the châteaux visits in case one tour blends in with another and none are truly appreciated or well remembered.) 

The Cher’s  principal town, Bourges, can be seen for miles from any direction because of Cathédrale St-Étienne, whose height soars above the city.  UNESCO has declared it a World Heritage Monument.  Bourges’ history includes being attacked by Caesar’s legions when it was known as Avaricum. Louis XI was born in Bourges Palace, and he established the foundation of its university in 1463.  Its law school was famous  throughout  Europe.    Bourges is also known for its Maison de la Culture, which is a national music academy, an experimental music center and a fine arts school.  Not to be missed is the Palais Jacques-Coeur, commissioned for  him  when he was Charles VII’s Master of the Mint. Bourges also has a large and pleasant pedestrian zone in the center of town and Place Gourdaine where you can enjoy restaurants,  theatre and sidewalk cafés.

Sancerre, a town primarily known for its wine production, has a great vantage point high above the banks of the Loire.  Surrounded by rolling hills covered in vines,  Sancerre has a charming old town with plenty of shops selling locally-produced pottery and crafts.  The Tour de Fiefs is the 14th century cylindrical keep ~ all that remains of the Huguenot château of the counts of Sancerre destroyed in the siege of 1573. 

The département of the Indre-et-Loire (37) could occupy several very full days of any vacation.  Here you will find the dynamic city of Tours, restored carefully over the last thirty years.  It has a highly respected university,  an exceptional  Musée des Beaux Arts overlooking classical gardens,  an archaeological museum, and the Cathédrale St-Gatien.  Tours was an important city of Christianity, and its Bishop in the fourth century became St Martin of Tours.  During the reign of Louis XI, Tours was made the capital of France.  You will find  many very good restaurants, and for those wishing to stay at chambers d’hôtes, there are probably more in the surrounding countryside than any other single département  in France. 

The River Cher blends into the Loire west of Tours near the town of Villandry on the left bank of the Loire.  The Château de Villandry lays several claims to fame, among them that it is the last of the great Renaissance châteaux built on the banks of the Loire.  It is a splendid example of classical French Renaissance architecture.  Most remembered after a visit, however, may very well be the gardens of Villandry. Terraced on several levels are the  water garden, the wonderful kitchen garden divided into squares, and, most outstanding, the decorative ornamental garden on the same level as the château.  This garden is divided into The Garden of Love, The Garden of Music, and the Herb Garden, each created from box and yew hedges and flowers forming symbolic patterns.  We found the best view of these is from above looking out from a window of the château.  The gardens are open all year.  The château hours from July 1 to August 31 are 8:30 AM to 8 PM; other dates from 9 AM until nightfall.

We could write pages and pages about all the Loire châteaux in the Indre-et-Loire, but feel it is best to summarize some of those we have personally visited, highlighting what made them distinct from others.

Château de Langeais built in the 15th century is Renaissance in style but maintains its feudal character.  In 1491 Charles VIII married Anne of Brittany here, and a life-sized tableau of their wedding ceremony is on display in the room where they were married.  Most interesting is a upper room with a curved wooden ceiling.  There is a wonderful tapestry collection.  It is located on the right bank of the Loire off the N152 west of Tours and Villandry.  It is operated by the Institut de France.  Fax for information 33.2.47.96.54.44.

Château d’Ussé still holds a place in our memories as one of the prettiest of all the châteaux of  the Loire.  South of the Loire and on the left bank of the Indre River, it sits like a fairytale castle resting against the backdrop of the dense green forest of Chinon.  Ussé is white and delicate and inspired the legend of   Sleeping Beauty.   In fact, you can walk outside along its ramparts and peer into windows where scenes from the fairytale can be seen. The castle was built in the 15th and 16th centuries on the remains of an 11th century fortress.  Le Nôtre, the architect of the gardens at Versailles, was commissioned in 1664 to design the formal gardens, and each of its owners over the centuries lovingly improved upon the château and its interior décor.  Unique to Ussé is the fact that today, although open to the public, it is still inhabited by descendants of Count de Blacas who inherited it in 1885.   Open from mid-March to the first of November.

Château d’Amboise also had connections to Charles VIII and Anne de Bretagne.  In 1491 he began to rebuild the château, and in 1498 before the reconstruction was completed, he hit his head on a door lintel and died.  A unique feature of Amboise is the spiral ramp in one of the towers  for horsemen to ride up into the château from the Loire. The château stands behind the lovely little town of Amboise on the banks of the river. 

THE CHÂTEAUX OF AMBOISE AND BLOIS AT THE PARC MINI-CHÂTEAUX [VISITOR CENTER TOP RIGHT]

If you would like to see ALL the châteaux of the Loire in one location, you might want to visit Parc Mini-Châteaux  ~ the Loire in miniature.  Although not like walking around and into the real châteaux, this four-year old park will allow you an overview (literally!) of the many Loire châteaux.  Each realistic interpretation is accompanied by two plaques ~ one in English and the other in French ~ telling the story behind the château.  The landscaping is authentic [including the gardens at Villandry - see photo below of the real thing!] and an occasional model train will chug past.  In July and August, they actually have 'mini' fireworks displays each Saturday and Sunday evening.   Although children would thoroughly enjoy the Parc Mini-Châteaux, we can assure you that on the day we were there all the other visitors were adults who could appreciate the time, attention to detail and the years of work that went into creating the beautiful buildings. The park is a few minutes drive from the town of Amboise. There is a restaurant, shaded picnic areas, and a sandwich bar.  Ask for directions to the Parc at the Syndicat d’Information on Quai du Général de Gaulle in Amboise.   They provided very clear directions for us.

Perhaps the best known is le Château des Dames, Chenonceau [see photo on previous page]. Built in the 16th century and designed by a woman, Catherine Briçonnet, the influence of two other women is also evident. It became the home of Diane de Poitiers, mistress of King Henri II.  But, upon Henri’s  death in 1559, his queen, the younger Catherine de Médicis, took Chenonceau for herself and relegated Diane to the château at Chaumont-sur-Loire.  Catherine added a gallery over Diane’s 60-meter long bridge spanning the River Cher.  Not only can visitors enjoy all aspects of the château from the chapel to the gallery to the bedrooms of kings and queens, they can see many of the furnishings and tapestries that have filled the château over the centuries.  Beautiful, too, are the gardens you pass as you approach the entrance to the château. (Another bit of  history:  Chenonceau was once owned by a Monsieur and Madame Dupin, members of the same Dupin family as George Sand.  In 1909 it was bought by the Menier chocolate family who have maintained it ever since.)

As we wrote earlier, the Centre has long been the destination and home of writers, composers, poets and artists.  Leonardo da Vinci came to a manor house, Clos-Lucé, in Amboise in 1516 at the invitation of François I, where he occupied his time designing a château at Romorantin for François' mother and drawing many mechanical devices and inventions which never materialized.  Another creative personality finding a home in the Centre was Honoré de Balzac. Balzac, in fact, spent some of his creative years (as well as those at the end of his life) escaping  his creditors at the château at Saché just south of the Loire between Azay-le-Rideau and Montbazon.  Balzac found the "romantic mass of the château at  Saché, a melancholy spot, harmonious and too profound for superficial minds, but dear to poets whose souls have felt the touch of pain . . .I myself at a later time loved the silence of it. . ." 

In our June newsletter we will visit the Eure-et-Loire (28), Loiret (45) and Loir-et-Cher (41) départements to further explore this royal region of France.  See you there!

INDRE-ET-LOIRE:In Amboise there is Le Vieux Manoir  ~  a lovely manor 
house right in town making it easy  to stroll over to the châteauto explore
it or to find a good restaurant for a dinner overlooking the River Loire.  The
Vieux Manoir offers B&B accommodations and a lovely cottage to rent.
 
 

In Beaumont-en-Veron is Château de Détilly, a magnificent Loire property 
that rents in its entirety and can sleep up to 24 people.  A swimming pool, 
wedding chapel and lovely gardens make this a paradise.  Situated in the
heart of the Loire near Chinon, you will appreciate the great location.
 
 

CHER:  In Charly is the classical Château de Charly, newly renovated 
and awaiting guests who will enjoy its charm, authenticity and perfect
location in the eastern Loire between Bourges and Burgundy.  You 
can be a bed & breakfast guest or rent the entire château whenever
it is available.
 
 

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