History of the Château 

From the earliest of times, high walls, to deter invaders, often surrounded ancient cities.  Within these walls was a strongly built fortification, called the citadel that was perched upon the highest land within the walls. 

Wherever the Romans established themselves they continued the custom of fortifying their cities.  This was done by building a wall around the city, and an inter citadel, for protection from their enemies.  Following the decline of Rome, about the middle of the forth-century AD, the feudal lords built simple wooden fortified living places at the top of a hill or upon an artificial mound called a motte.  Ideally, the structures were built were they could command a view of the countryside.  Up to the 6th century, the fortifications surrounded communities where most of the area's population lived. 

The original French castles had been constructed on open plains or rolling hills.  Gradually, however, their builders began to strategically place them for defense.  When fortified places where not advantageously placed on an island in a river as the famous 12th-century Château Gaillard, built by Richard the Lion-Heart on the Andelys cliff overlooking the Seine River in Normandy [now in ruins about 50 miles (80 km) northwest of Paris], or in another body of water [such as le Mont-St-Michel in Normandy], they were surrounded by a ditch.  Eventually, the ditches were filled with water to become moats. 

By the middle of the 6th century, the Byzantine Empire began to build strong defensive fortifications for the primary purpose of housing its armies.  These castle-like structures remained, for the next couple of centuries, almost exclusively Byzantine.  Islamic warriors, sweeping out of Arabia to conquer Byzantine, the Middle East and North Africa, appropriated the castle concept.

In Europe, during this period, a wooden stockade was erected, around the motte, upon which were built the fortification’s structures.  By the late 9^th-century, the wooden wall was being replaced by a thick stonewall.  The use of a single stonewall oftentimes gave way to a series of raised masonry walls that gradually became thicker and which were topped with wide crenellated parapets.  The open areas, within these walls, became known as the bailey [courtyard].  By the 11th-century, the motte-and-bailey castle [from the Latin word castellum, meaning a ‘small fortified place’] configuration had become dominant. 

During the Middle Ages [the 5^th-century through the 14^th century], when Europe was divided into many small states and conflicts were common, castles began to play a central role in the feudal, political and military system.  Under this system, the kings granted land to the nobles in return for military and other services to be rendered by the nobles.  The kingpin of this system was the castle that helped the king or noble defend his lands.  The castle served as home, barracks, armory, storehouse, prison, treasury and administrative center. 

However -- throughout the Middle Ages in Europe -- until the 12^th-century, the fortification’s main building materials remained earth and timber.  In the latter 9th century, the returning lords and kings of the first Crusades, having seen the Alhambras of the east, started to phase in the building of stone castles to bolster their consolidation of power.  The first of these were probably built in France.  By the latter middle Ages, castles were found dotting the shores of the Rhine, from Mainz to Cologne, and on the plains of Spain.

As siege warfare became more sophisticated, the castle builders built increasingly stronger defensive bastions.  The stone castle’s walls could be up to 33 feet (10 meters) thick.  In most cases, round towers stood at the corners and along the lengths of the walls.  Guards walked along the tops of the walls and towers, where they were protected by defensive structures called battlements.  The battlements consisted of stone uprights known as merlons and open spaces called crenels.  The merlons shielded the guards from enemy missiles.  Through the crenels, the guards could shoot arrows or drop rocks on attackers.   

The motte was usually built up from earth that had been excavated from the building of the moat; a palisade usually topped it.  An enemy attacking the castle had to break through the defenses of one or more baileys before he could reach the motte’s defenses. 

The Normans fashioned the next step in castle development.  This was the addition of a towering masonry keep [donjon] within the bailey.  The keep often rose some 40 to 50 feet [12 – 15 meters] and had small windows set into thick walls.  Concurrently, the moats became wider and were traversed by a drawbridge that was raised and lowered from within the fortification’s walls.   

Many stone castles were entered through a structure called a gatehouse.  Typically, the gatehouse consisted of two large towers -- one on each side of the entrance -- and one or more rooms above the entrance.  The Normans also added a portcullis to the castle’s wall, at the end of the drawbridge.  This was a thick, iron plated wooden door that could be lowered to guard the entryway.  From the gatehouse interior, people could open and close huge doors that stood at the entrance.  They could also raise and lower one or more of the portcullises.  The drawbridge could also be operated from inside the gatehouse. 

Subsequently, the Norman donjon [keep or tower] became round [easier to defend than the rectangular keep] and was expanded to contain apartments, a water well and storage areas. 

In the 12^th and 13^th-centuries, when the Crusaders were again returning from the Holy land, they brought memories of the imposing Islamic stone fortifications with them.  These helped to transform their castles.  The castle apartments were transferred to more robust buildings that were built within additional bailey battlements.  They became the castle’s final line of defense.   

With the advent of canons, in the 15^th-century, the fortified castle [château fort] began to give way to the French type château ‘country house’ or ‘royal residence’ [châteaux de plaisance].  Examples of the châteaux de plaisance are Amboise [15th-century], Azay-le Rideau [1518 - 1527], Blois [13th-century], Chambord [1519 - 1547], and Chenonceaux [1515 - 1523].  This transition was in no small part due to Charles VIII’s 1494 invasion of Italy to capture the kingdom of Naples.  In his march toward Naples his canon bombarded and destroyed numerous castles.  So thorough was the destruction that the kings and nobility, of Western Europe, came to see the castle’s Achilles’ heel.  Fortified castle building all but ceased. 

In English, the terms castle and palace, do not have the same meaning, even though they have been loosely employed interchangeably; castles are fortifications while a palace is the residence for the nobility and for kings.  On the other hand, the French word ‘château’ [châteaux is the plural] is multifaceted.  Over the years it has added new meanings while maintaining the old ones. 

At first, château ment a fortress [château fort].  It was totally equivalent to the English word ‘castle’.  During the Renaissance, it took on the additional meanings of ‘royal palace’ and ‘mansion’ or ‘stately home’.   As early as the 15th century the castle architects were designing imposing residential tower houses within the castles, which were outfitted for elegant living.  Examples of such edifices are found at Tattershall, in England and at the imposing Château Vincennes near Paris.

The château de Chambord [begun in 1519] reflects the castle’s transition from fortress to residence.  Fontainebleau, with its horseshoe-shaped staircase that dominates its entrance and Chenonceaux, which spans the Cher River, and idyllic Azay-le-Rideau, are further illustrations of this change in the meaning of the word ‘château’.  The structures themselves still retained many of the characteristics of the castle, with steep Mansard roofs and round corner towers.  Yet, an attacking enemy would find their large windows inviting.  

By the time the château de Versailles was being built [begun by Louis XIV in 1661], the château no longer resembled the medieval castle.  Château roofs had become lower and the structures were more rectangular.  The need for fortified châteaux had virtually vanished.  In their place, elegant palaces [the word is derived from Palatine Hill in Rome] and mansions appeared, having extensive formal gardens.   

Today, the word château can also refer to a wine producing estate [such as ‘Château Lafitte-Rothschild’].  The peaceful, wooded French Loire Valley, which runs through the regions of Centre and Pays de la Loire in central France, is known as the Châteaux de la Loire because of its many historic châteaux.  In France, the so-called ‘house of cards’ is known as a ‘Château de carts’ and a French water tower has become a ‘Château d’eau’ [a water castle]. 
 

                       The Loire Valley 
                         The Châteaux de la Loire

   View all the top Loire Valley Tours & Packages for the Loire Valley

The Loire Valley traverses two French regions: Centre [Region 6] and Pays-de-la Loire [Western Loire, Region 18].  The Region of Centre [Centre-Val-de-Loire] is so named for its central location in France.  It is comprised of the départements of Cher, Eure-et-Loir,  Indre, Indre-et-Loire, Loir-et-Cher and Loiret.  To Centre's west is the Region of the Pays-de-la-Loire; it consists of the départements of Loire-Atlantique, Maine-et-Loire, Mayenne, Sarthe and Vendee.  

The Loire Valley is also known as the Châteaux de la Loire [the Castles of the Loire].  Its' fairytale castles are rich in the renaissance architecture that was in vogue during the period that saw the castles renovated and expanded.   The renaissance also influenced the magnificent courtly gardens that abound in the area.  The Loire Valley entered its renaissance period in the 16th century.  As elsewhere in Europe, the period brought with it new, artistic ideas in architecture.

Because of its beautiful and game rich forests, the kings and nobility made this area the preferred habitat for their castles.  Their fairytale castles were nestled in the forests surrounded by their splendid garden type settings that bordered the winding Loire river and her tributaries, the Cher, Indrois and Indre.
The history, the grandeur and the beauty, of these architectural wonders is beyond anything that one can imagine.  A visit to a château or two, will leave you awe stricken, actually feeling as though you are a part of the history that occurred there.

A trip to the Loire Valley is an absolute must.  It is quickly accessible, from any part of France, by train, bus or car.  The trains in France are wonderfully comfortable and fast.  

• Amboise
  Only twenty-five percent of the Châteaux de la Loire remain intact, and of these, Amboise is quite extraordinary.
  
  The 15th-century château de Amboise [photos] is located on the Promontoire des Chatelliers that overlooks the town of Amboise in the region of Centre, département of Indre-et Loire.  Amboise is to the west of Tours, on the south bank of the Loire River.  This is a grand fortress perched on a cliff overlooking the Loire River on one side and the arched gateway and cobble stone streets of the village on its other side.  This same site has been fortified since the Celtic tribe, the Turones, inhabited the area of the future Touraine. 
  
  As early as 503 Clovis, King of the Francs, and Alaric, King of the Visigoths, met here.  From before the Dark Ages through the Middle Ages, wooden and stone fortifications were in place on this rocky spur.  In 1214, Philippe-Auguste, King of France, took control of the area, making the Amboise-Chaumont family his vassals.
  
  Amboise was originally known for its many festive gatherings and happenings.  In 1516, Leonardo da Vinci traveled to Amboise in the service of François I.  He lived the last years of his life there, at the Château de Cloux, where he died in 1519.  The Amboise Conspiracy in 1560, and the Wars of Religion, diminished the festive association with the château.  These were sinister times for the château, due to the slaughter of hundreds of Protestants that took place there.  Today, Amboise is a site that is used for the many festive-like events that act as a beacon for tourists.
  
  It was through Amboise that the Italian style of architecture was introduced into the Loire Valley.  Charles VIII devoted most of his efforts to transforming the mediaeval fortress into a sumptuous gothic palace for himself and Anne of Brittany.  Its St. Hubert chapel houses the tomb of Leonardo da Vinci.

• Angers
  The massive early 13th-century Château d'Angers [photos], is not really beautiful, when compared to Chenonceau, but it is impressive.  It is located in the beautiful town of Angers which is in the region of Western Loire [Pays de la Loire], département of Maine-et-Loire.  The town is the former capital of the historic province of Anjou, sitting on the banks of the River Maine. 
  
  The château dates back to the first century BC.  It has known both Roman and Viking rule and has suffered vast physical ruin, together with the loss of much of its land holdings during those turbulent times terminating in the Religious Wars.  For the duration of the later epoch, the château suffered even more devastation than Amboise.  Continuing confrontations, between the Protestants and Catholics, were unrelenting.  In an effort to abate the turmoil, Henri IV, in 1598, promised the marriage of his son to the daughter of the Duc de Mercoeur [the leader of the Catholic Party]; the marriage contract was signed in April when the children were three and six years old! 
  
  The construction of the Moorish looking Angers began in 1228 and was finished about ten years later. It was originally encircled by wide moats that have been converted into today’s gardens. Initially, the towers were one to two stories taller, but were ordered demolished by the King during the Wars of Religion. Instead, the castle’s governor merely had the towers reduced in height. The King died, during the first part of the demolition, which saved the château from being totally destroyed.  
  
  If you are an admirer of fine tapestry, the famous ‘Apocalypse’ tapestry can be viewed here. In 1373, Charles V, the King of France, loaned a copy of the manuscript the Apocalypse to his brother, Louis I, the Duke of Anjou. The Duke was inspired by the tomb to commission tapestries to be made of the Apocalypse. The tapestry, which is 140 meters long, is housed in the 600-year-old building that was designed for it. This building is the oldest and largest, of the castle’s structures, to survive in such a grand state. The surviving tapestry itself contains over 76 scenes that depict the book of John (the last book of the New Testament), and the coming of a New Jerusalem.

• Azay-le-Rideau
  Azay-le-Rideau [photos] is a smaller castle of exceptional architectural beauty, built on an island in the Indre River.  The château has robust turrets and luxurious furnished rooms.  It is also considered to be one of the most beautiful of the châteaux in the Valley. Named after one of it’s lords, Rideau d’Azay, it sits on the Indre river, in the region of Centre, département of Indre-et-Loire, about 15 miles [24 km] southwest of Tours.  This famous early Renaissance château is situated in a beautiful park in the ancient province of Touraine.  Balzac called it "A many-faceted diamond with the Indre as its setting".
  
  Azay has its horrific past as well.  In 1418, while passing through Azay, a Burgundy guard insulted Charles the VII.  The King retaliated immediately by having the guard and 350 other soldiers executed.  He had the town taken over and burned; for the next 100 years, the town, which is a maze of narrow, twisting streets, was known as Azay-le-Brûlé ['Azay the Burnt']. 
  
  Financier Filles Berthelot, and his wife Phillippa rebuilt the château, in the early 16th Century [1518 - 1529].  Phillippa oversaw the reconstruction of this lovely château, which is partially built upon pilings, allowing it to project out into the Indre River.  When the monarchy’s financier fell into disfavor with the King, he fled the country and died in exile.
  
  François I confiscated Azay-le-Rideau and gave it to one of his companions in arms, Antoine Raffin.  It now houses a Renaissance furniture and art museum.
   
• Blois
  The château, which began as a feudal castle, is located in the city of Blois, the capital of the region of Centre, département of Loir-et-Cher. located in north-central France between Orléans and Tours.  The Loire River bisects the town.  In 1429, Joan of Arc set out from Blois to besiege Orléans.
  
  The town of Blois, though of ancient origin, was first distinctly mentioned by Gregory of Tours in the 6th-century.  It did not become a powerful countship until the 9th-century.  The oldest parts of the château were built by the counts of Châtillon during the 13th-century. 
  
  The history of the Château de Blois [photos] is interesting.  It seems that the Count of Blois married the daughter of William the Conqueror, and Stephen, their son, became the King of England, in 1135, while Blois was still in its prime.  It was not until 1498 that Louis XII became King of France, ruling his domain from the château, that Blois became a royal town and capital of the Kingdom.       
  
  The château is one of the most prestigious Renaissance monuments in France.  It is a brilliant study of the progression of French architecture from the Middle Ages into the 17th-century.  Certainly some of the earliest applications of the early French Renaissance style were the additions that François I [1515 - 1547] made to the Château de Blois. 
  
  The Château de Blois’s exterior is one of the most beautiful of all the châteaux in the region. The François I spiral staircase, with it open stonework tower, is a noted architectural masterpiece; Leonardo da Vinci, who died in 1519 at nearby Amboise, may have designed it.  In 1635 - 1638, Nicolas François Mansart, the Paris born architect, designed and built the Orléans wing of the château.
   
• Chambord
  The Château de Chambord [photos] is located in the region of Centre, département of Loir-et-Cher, 9 miles [15 km] northeast of Blois on the Cosson River..  It is, of course, the most glorious of the châteaux de la Loire, built from 1519 to 1547.  King François I already owned Amboise, Blois and Chenonceaux Castles, but felt the need for a more elegant hunting lodge than the one that originally occupied the setting.  Thus the King acquired over 10,000 more acres to build this architectural jewel.
  
  Chambord, which was constructed as a châteaux de plaisance in a style somewhere between fortified Gothic castle, Renaissance palace and fairyland stands in a park surrounded by a 22 mile [35 km] long wall.  Construction began in 1519 and was completed in 1547, boasting of 440 rooms, and just about as many fireplaces (that you could walk into), 13 great staircases and stables for 1200 horses.  It was constructed with its magnificent, Italian style double staircase that is believed to have been designed by Leonardo de Vinci.  A person going up or down one staircase would not meet another going the opposite direction on the other staircase.  The staircase was designed to allow the simultaneous up and down passage, of both soldiers and horses, in times of siege.
  
  Chambord was quite an undertaking; the treasury was broke, and there was no money to pay the ransom demanded for the release of François’ two sons being held hostage in Spain.  But, the construction continued.  Only François’ imprisonment, after losing the battle of Pavia, halted the activity for about a year.
  
  The King was so enthusiastic about his project that he wanted to change the course of the Loire River to run by Chambord.  But, even the King agreed that the cost was prohibitive.  Instead, he had the Cosson River redirected to flow past the castle.
  
  The park, which is enclosed by a wall, has been a national hunting reserve since 1948.  The barrier is reportedly the longest in France. Chambord is an absolute must to visit. Tours to Chambord
  
  
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