The Château de Chenonceau is often called the "Château des Dames" (The Ladies' Castle) due to the powerful women who designed, influenced, and preserved it throughout history.
The current château was built between 1515 and 1522 on the foundations of an old mill. The construction was commissioned by Thomas Bohier, a royal tax collector, and largely overseen by his wife, Katherine Briçonnet, while Bohier was away on the king's business.
The structure is a masterpiece of the early French Renaissance, known for its unique placement astride the River Cher.
Château de Chenonceau
Château de Chenonceau
The oldest surviving part of the château is the Tour des Marques. This keep is a vestige of the original fortified residence built from 1432 by Jean II Marques and was deliberately preserved and incorporated into the new Renaissance structure in the early 16th century.
Tour des Marques
The château’s subsequent architectural evolution was dominated by the rivalry between two royal women: Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de Médicis. In 1547, King Henry II gifted the estate to his mistress, Diane de Poitiers. She commissioned the architect Philibert de l'Orme to build the distinct arched bridge spanning the River Cher, allowing for the creation of new gardens on the opposite bank. Following the King’s death, the Queen and Regent, Catherine de Médicis, forced Diane to exchange Chenonceau for the Château de Chaumont. Catherine then made Chenonceau her favorite residence, commissioning the architect Jean Bullant to build the iconic Grand Gallery. Inaugurated in 1577, this two-story structure was constructed atop Diane de Poitiers' bridge, extending the château across the entire river. During World War I, the gallery was converted into a 120-bed military hospital.
Grand Gallery
The chapel of Château de Chenonceau was preserved during the French Revolution thanks to Madame Dupin, the owner of the time, who concealed its religious function by using it as a wood store. The original stained glass windows were destroyed during a 1944 bombing and replaced in 1954 by new creations from master glassmaker Max Ingrand.
The Diane de Poitiers Chamber is dominated by a monumental stone fireplace, the work of sculptor Jean Goujon. Above the fireplace, a portrait of Catherine de Médicis, painted by Henri Sauvage in 1901, is prominently displayed. The Queen is depicted in an austere black gown and coif, the perpetual mourning attire she adopted after the death of her husband, Henri II.
Diane de Poitiers Chamber
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