Chicks Rule or, more from the Loire...

Château Chenonceau, aka le château des dames, is remarkable for its feminine architectural history as well as the sheer beauty of its graceful lines and intricate gardens.  The castle we see today was designed in 1515, by Catherine Briçonnet.  In 1526, the chateau was "yielded" to the crown over a matter of outstanding taxes.

King Henry II later gave the castle to his favorite mistress,  Diane de Poitiers, who was 20 years his senior...

Diane was able to make the estate profitable through the sale of farm produce and royalties from vassals (huh?)  A vassal was a  person who held land from a feudal lord and received protection in return for homage and allegiance.  Diane also added a significant structural element—a bridge that spanned the river Cher.

Alas, poor King Henry up and got himself run through during a jousting tournament in 1559.  This was a great loss for France, but an opportunity for the grieving widow, Catherine de Medici to remove Diane from Chenonceau. As the new lady in residence, Catherine also made architectural changes—she added a great hall atop the bridge. 

During Word war I, the great hall served as an infirmary; in World War II, it became a bridge to freedom.  The river Cher was the natural demarcation line between Occupied and “Free” France.  Thus, people could sneak in through the front door and head out the back, making their way safely into Vichy territory.

Sounds easy, but crossing the border was illegal and very dangerous.  Still, that this breathtaking castle was a portal to relative freedom during the war, certainly adds to its beauty.

With 1 million visitors each year, Chenonceau is, next toVersailles, the most frequented castle in France.  In my opinion, it is also the loveliest.