Chateau Amboise has a long and bloody history that began with its construction in the 11th Century when the Duke of Anjou built the chateau as a fortress to protect the town of Amboise. In the following centuries, Amboise fell under the control of the Amboise family until 1434 when it was siezed by Charles VII after its owner Louis d'Amboise had been convicted of treason and was to be executed. However, Charles VII pardoned Louis but wouldn't return his chateau, and the castle remained in royal hands for almost 500 years.

Chateau Amboise became a central part of French royalty and was a favorite vacation spot for several French kings including Francois I who grew up in Amboise, which by that time was under the control of his mother, Louise of Savoy. During this time, the chateau went under numerous renovations in the Renaissance styel of architecture that can be seen today including a huge Italian style terrace and lawns.

It was during the 16th Century when things started to get pretty bloody in France and Amboise had a big part in the War of Religion between the Catholics and Protestants that culminated in 1560 when a conspiracy by the French Hugenots was discovered by the Catholic House of Guise that led to the arrest and execution of 1,200 Protestants at Amboise. The executions took over a month to complete, and many of the bodies of the condemned were hung from flag hooks hanging from Amboise's balconies and windows. The bodies were left to rot for days at a time, and the French royal family was forced to leave town because of the smell.

Chateau Amboise was heavily damaged during the French Revolution to the point that Napoleon Bonaparte had it torn down. King Louis-Phillipe began to reconstruct Amboise in the mid-19th Century, but after his forced abdication in 1848, further reconstruction was not started until 1873. Amboise suffered more damage at the hands of the Germans during WWII, but since the chateau has been in the hands of the Comte de Paris, repairs and reconstruction have been done on the chateau to retain its Renaissance beauty.

On the grounds of Amboise used to contain the Church of Saint Florentin where it is said that Leonardo da Vinci was buried. After the church was destroyed during the French Revolution, the supposed skeleton of the great artist and scientist was found in the ruins and were moved to the Chapel of Saint Hubert before the stones of St. Florentin were used to fix the chateau.

Our tour of Chateau Amboise was the only guided tour of the chateaux we explored in the Loire Valley. We were given a great tour with a French-speaking guide who worked at the chateau and were able to listen to some of the great stories about the chateau and what life was like during the War of Religion and other times. After our guided tour of the chateau's interior, we were free to wander around the grounds of Amboise and saw the gardens and Chapel of Saint-Hubert. After wandering, we had time to sit on the huge terrace and take pictures of the Loire River and talk among each other. Hearing the stories of hanging and impaling of Hugenots left a lasting impression on me that picqued my interest in French History even more.

Amboise is well-worth a half-day of your time when you visit the Loire Valley. There is a small admissions fee to tour the chateau and photos are allowed everywhere. Before you visit Amboise, you should watch the French movie La Reine Margot (Queen Margot). Directed by Patrice Chereau, this movie is a colorful and violent look at France during the reign of Henri III persecutions of the Hugenots in France and the Saint Bartholomew's Day Massacre of 1575. Margot was Henri III's sister and was married to Henri IV, but she had affairs with other men, and the movie shows her relationship with a Hugenot servant.