Quote: Did you know that the Loire Valley has over 300 chateaux? This one was the envy of all.
The first owner we know about was Giles Berthelot, who acquired the estate with the Lordship of Azay in 1515 and reconstructed a mansion built by an unknown. Berthelot was Treasurer of France under Francois I, and he and his wife Philippe did such a good job of designing the chateau that the King was envious and accused him of misappropriating funds, or so the story goes. He was forced to abandon the estate unfinished. Next owner was Marquis Charles de Biencourt, who added Renaissance touches, especially the grand staircase showing as the huge bay on the front facade.

The huge, romantic park.
We enjoyed the park as much as the castle! Townspeople were walking their dogs, and we intended to return in the evening, since we were staying two blocks away. The scene was idyllic, an English-style park built by Biencourt after 1810. Some of the trees he imported included Sequoia and Ginko, so a touch of grandeur is added to the French countryside scene.

A Museum of Royal History.
Heads of the kings and queens of France are sculpted into the grand staircase. Portraits of Francois I, Henry III, and Louise of Lorraine are displayed, as well as a magnificent full-length painting of Louis XIII. Others are too numerous to mention, but a portrait of Diane de Poitiers, mistress of Henry II and Dame of Chenonceau, in her bath should be noted by anyone touring the castle at Chenonceau. My favorite, since it reminded me of a history lesson I’d forgotten, is the painting of Camp du Drap D’Or.

The gold blob on the left is Henry VIII of England arriving at an early heads-of-state meeting with Francois I. They pitched tents, had jousting tournaments, and reached agreements about matters of state at the "Camp of the Gold Cloth," and the painting tells the story. Royal beds (2) are also displayed, as each owner of the chateau was obligated to keep a bedchamber for his king. Louis XIII also visited (1610), and his bedroom is decorated with early Gobelin tapestries and now a late seventeenth-century bed.

Tapestries from several centuries and countries.
All rooms with tapestries are dimly lighted in order to preserve them, but they are astoundingly well preserved. Some were Berthelot’s, including a fine example of Brussels weavers from the 1500’s, still gothic with Biblical scenes. Others depict late seventeenth-century hunting scenes, my favorite, since they pertain to the Loire Valley. Others still are Italianate. The castle has been called "a museum of tapestries," and few rooms are without them.

Before we say "Goodbye."
Kitchens on the ground floor are also interesting. Stone sinks and ribbed brick ceilings with mythical moldings are always interesting, and these ceilings are original, from Berthelot’s day. We lingered on the grounds admiring other groupings of buildings not on the tour, and then we walked a narrow old street back to the main square and on to Chenonceau.

From journals Touring Chateaux from Azay-le-Rideau