France, Part 3

And after Normandy and Brittany, on the road home we go to visit a few châteaux in the Loire. ANGERS a city of art, a city of history.... The castle, perfectly preserved, is an imposing fortress built in 1228-38 under the reign of Louis IX: surrounded by a moat 30 m wide and 11 deep, the ring of walls, reinforced by 17 mighty cylindrical towers, is 950 m long. TOURS is the most fascinating of the Loire cities, thanks to a restoration plan financed by a wealthy bourgeoisie, and to a lively student population. It is built on the site of a Roman settlement and in the 4th century, under Bishop St Martin, became an important centre of Christianity. In 1461 Louis XI declared it capital of France and the city prospered with arms and textile industries. CHATEAU DE CHENONCEAU the romantic château of Chenonceau was built in stages, from the Renaissance onwards, by a series of noblewomen.

A magnificent avenue lined with plane trees leads to the harmonious gardens and to that serene view Flaubert called "suspended on air and water". The château, in fact, juts out over the Cher with a 60 m gallery, supported by a series of arches, and reflects itself languidly in the water. This splendid spectacle continues inside too, with elegantly furnished rooms, airy bedrooms, precious paintings and tapestries. CHATEAU DE AMBOISE few buildings carry the historical importance of the castle of Amboise. Louis XI lived here; Charles VIII was born and died here; Francis I and Catherine de' Medici came here regularly to visit. The Tour des Minimes, the original entrance of the castle, is famous for the helical ramp along which one could ride up even on horseback to bring provisions. Perched on the ramparts is the Chapelle de St. Hubert, where Leonardo da Vinci is believed to be buried.

CHATEAU DE CHEVERNY the spell of the landscape underlines the beauty of the haughty and magnificent residence....The history of this castle belongs to the last seigneurial period of the Loire Valley, when the powerful families of the aristocracy prolonged the era of royal patronage, having castles built whose size and luxury contrasted with the modest country residences of a provincial nobility generally very poor. CHATEAU DE CHAMBORD Henry James stated that "Chambord is regal; regal in its dimensions, in its appearance and in its supreme indifference to human considerations". The original core of the largest château in the Loire, owing to the extravagance of Francis I, was a hunting lodge of the Foret de Boulogne. In 1519 the lodge was demolished and the construction of Chambord began, probably to a design by Leonardo.

CHATEAU DE BLOIS Blois is dominated by its magnificent castle built on a cliff, overlooking the pale blue roofs of the houses. Stretching along the right bank of the Loire, the city was, in the 16th century, the favourite residence of the kings of France. The castle of Blois is particularly interesting because it represents a compendium of French architecture. Begun in the 13th century, it was extended in the 1400s, then by Francis I, in the 1700s, who called Italian artists to work. The masterpiece of the castle is the celebrated spiral staircase enclosed in a polygonal tower with richly carved balconies. And after a good 6800 km our adventure wandering around France can be considered over, and we head back home.