Château de Chenonceau facts for kids

The Château de Chenonceau, on the river Cher

Location in France

The Château de Chenonceau is a famous French castle. It stretches across the Cher River, near a small village called Chenonceaux in France. It is one of the most well-known castles in the Loire Valley.

People first wrote about the Chenonceau estate in the 11th century. The castle you see today was built between 1514 and 1522. It was built on the foundations of an old mill. Later, it was made bigger to cross the river. The bridge over the river was built from 1556 to 1559. It was designed by a French architect named Philibert de l'Orme. The long gallery on the bridge was added later, from 1570 to 1576. Jean Bullant designed this part.

What is Chenonceau Like?
History of the Château
Gallery
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What is Chenonceau Like?

View of the château from the gardens. The old tower on the left is from the first castle.

The Château de Chenonceau mixes two old building styles: late Gothic and early Renaissance. You can visit the castle and its beautiful gardens. After the Royal Palace of Versailles, it is the most visited castle in France.

The French government has called the château a Monument historique since 1840. This means it is a very important historical site. Today, many tourists visit Chenonceau. In 2007, about 800,000 people came to see it.

History of the Château

The Marques Family

In the 1200s, the Chenonceau land belonged to the Marques family. The first castle was burned down in 1412. This happened because the owner, Jean Marques, had rebelled against the king. He rebuilt a new castle and a strong mill in the 1430s. But Jean Marques' son, Pierre Marques, owed a lot of money. He had to sell the castle.

Thomas Bohier Builds a New Castle

Plan of the main part of the castle, drawn by Du Cerceau in 1579.

In 1513, Thomas Bohier bought the castle from Pierre Marques. Thomas Bohier was a special helper to King Charles VIII of France. He tore down most of the old castle. Only its 15th-century tower was left standing. Bohier built a completely new home between 1515 and 1521. His wife, Katherine Briçonnet, managed the building work. She loved to host important French nobles, including King Francis I, who visited twice.

Diane de Poitiers' Influence

The château with the bridge, before the long gallery was added.

In 1535, King Francis I of France took the castle from Bohier's son. This was because of unpaid debts to the Crown. After King Francis died in 1547, his son, King Henry II, gave the château as a gift to his special friend, Diane de Poitiers. She loved the castle by the river very much. In 1555, she asked Philibert de l'Orme to build the arched bridge. This bridge connected the castle to the other side of the river. Diane then created large flower and vegetable gardens. She also planted many fruit trees. These beautiful gardens were shaped like four triangles. They were built along the river, protected from floods by stone walls.

Catherine de' Medici's Grand Plans

After King Henry II died in 1559, his powerful wife, Catherine de' Medici, became the ruler of France. She made Diane trade Chenonceau for another castle. Queen Catherine then made Chenonceau her favorite home. She added new gardens to the estate.

View from the northeast, showing the chapel and the library.

As the ruler of France, Catherine spent a lot of money on the château. She also held amazing nighttime parties. In 1560, the first fireworks display in France happened here. This was part of the celebrations for her son, Francis II, becoming king. The long gallery, which stretched across the bridge over the river, was finished in 1577. Catherine also added rooms between the chapel and the library. She also built a service area on the west side of the entrance courtyard.

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A plan for expanding the château, from a book by Jacques Androuet du Cerceau in 1579.

Aerial view of the château and its gardens.

Catherine even thought about making the château much bigger. An old drawing from 1579 shows her idea. If this plan had been built, the castle we see today would have been only a small part of a huge estate.

Louise de Lorraine's Sadness

Louise de Lorraine.

When Catherine died in January 1589, the château went to her daughter-in-law, Louise of Lorraine. Louise was the wife of King Henry III. Louise was at Chenonceau when she heard that her husband had been killed in August 1589. She became very sad. For the next 11 years, until she died in 1601, Louise wandered the castle's hallways. She wore black mourning clothes. The castle was decorated with dark tapestries that had skulls and crossbones on them.

The Duc de Vendôme and Later Owners

King Henri IV got Chenonceau for his special friend, Gabrielle d'Estrées. He paid off Catherine de' Medici's debts, which Louise had inherited. In return, Louise left the château to her young niece, Françoise de Lorraine. Françoise was engaged to César de Bourbon, duc de Vendôme, who was Henri IV's son. The château belonged to the Duc de Vendôme and his family for over a hundred years. The Bourbon family was not very interested in the castle, except for hunting. In 1650, King Louis XIV was the last king to visit it before the French Revolution.

In 1720, the Duke of Bourbon bought the Château de Chenonceau. He slowly sold off everything inside the castle. Many beautiful statues ended up at the Palace of Versailles.

Louise Dupin Saves the Castle

Louise Dupin by Nattier.

In 1733, a rich man named Claude Dupin bought the estate. His wife, Louise Dupin, was a very smart and cultured woman. She held famous gatherings at Chenonceau. Important thinkers of the Enlightenment visited her. These included writers like Voltaire and Montesquieu. Jean-Jacques Rousseau worked for Louise Dupin as a secretary and taught her son. Rousseau wrote some of his famous works while at Chenonceau.

Louise Dupin saved the château from being destroyed during the French Revolution. The Revolutionary Guard wanted to tear it down. But Louise argued that it was important for travel and trade. It was the only bridge across the river for many miles. Because of this, the castle was saved.

Marguerite Pelouze's Restoration

The entrance in 1851, before changes were made.

The entrance in 2007.

In 1864, a wealthy heiress named Marguerite Pelouze bought the château. Around 1875, she hired an architect named Félix Roguet to restore it. He almost completely redid the inside of the castle. He also removed some parts that Catherine de' Medici had added. These included rooms and statues on the north side. Marguerite spent so much money on these projects and on fancy parties that she ran out of money. The château was taken from her and sold.

Recent Times

José-Emilio Terry, a rich man from Cuba, bought Chenonceau in 1891. He sold it to a family member, Francisco Terry, in 1896. In 1913, the château was bought by Henri Menier. His family is famous for their chocolates. The Menier family still owns the château today.

During World War I, Gaston Menier turned the long gallery into a hospital ward. During World War II, the château was bombed by the Germans in June 1940. It also became a way for people to escape from the Nazi-controlled area. They could cross the river Cher to the "free" zone on the other side. The Germans occupied the château. The Allies bombed it on June 7, 1944. The chapel was hit, and its windows were broken.

In 1951, the Menier family asked Bernard Voisin to restore the château. He brought the worn-down castle and its gardens back to their former glory. The gardens had been damaged in a flood of the Cher River in 1940.