Sights in Amboise
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Parc de Mini-Châteaux
Intricate scale models of 44 of the Loire Valley's most famous châteaux. Squint a bit and it's almost as good as a hot-air balloon trip over the Loire for a fraction of the price.
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Pagode de Chanteloup
Two kilometres south of Amboise, the curious Pagode de Chanteloup was built between 1775 and 1778 when the odd blend of classical French architecture and Chinese motifs were all the rage. Clamber to the top for glorious views of the surrounding park and the forested Loire Valley. Picnic hampers (€12 to €26) are sold in summer, and you can while away the afternoon larking about in a rowboat or playing free outdoor games.
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Le Clos Lucé
Leonardo da Vinci (pronounced van-see in French) took up residence in the grand manor house at Le Clos Lucé in 1516 on the invitation of François I, who was greatly enamoured with the Italian Renaissance. Already 64 by the time he arrived, da Vinci spent his time sketching, tinkering and dreaming up new contraptions: the house is jammed with scale models of many of his inventions. The expansive, beautiful gardens wind through forest and stream and are dotted with full-size replicas of his inventions including a protoautomobile, tank, bridges, hydraulic turbine and even a primitive helicopter. He died here on 2 May 1519.
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Château Royal d'Amboise
Sprawling across a gorgeously situated rocky escarpment with panoramic views of the river and surrounding countryside, the easily defendable castle presented a formidable prospect to would-be attackers, but in fact saw little military action. It was more often used as a weekend getaway from the official royal seat at nearby Blois. Charles VIII (r 1483–98) was born and brought up here, and was responsible for the château's Italianate remodelling in 1492. François I (r 1515–47), who constructed Chambord, also grew up here alongside his sister Margaret of Angoulême, and later invited da Vinci to work at nearby ClosLucé under his patronage.
Today just a few of the ori…
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Château d’Ussé
This main claim to fame of the elaborate Château d’Ussé is as the inspiration for Charles Perrault’s classic fairy tale, La Belle au Bois Dormant (better known to English-speakers as Sleeping Beauty).
Ussé’s creamy white towers and slate roofs jut out from the edge of the glowering forest of Chinon, offering sweeping views across the flat Loire countryside and the flood-prone River Indre. The castle mainly dates from the 15th and 16th centuries, built on top of a much earlier 11th-century fortress. Its most notable features are the wonderful formal gardens designed by Le Nôtre, architect of Versailles. A popular local rumour claims Ussé was one of Walt Disney’s insp…
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Château de Villandry
Completed in 1756, one of the last major Renaissance châteaux to be built in the Loire Valley, Villandry is more famous for what lies outside the château’s walls than what lies within. Sheltered with enclosing walls, the château’s glorious landscaped gardens are some of the finest in France, occupying over 6 hectares filled with completely manicured lime trees, ornamental vines, razor-sharp box hedges and tinkling fountains.
The original gardens and château were built by Jean le Breton, who served François I as finance minister and Italian ambassador (and supervised the construction of Chambord). During his time as ambassador, le Breton became enamoured by the art …
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Château de Langeais
In contrast to the showy splendour of many châteaux, Langeais was constructed first and foremost as a fortress, built in the 1460s to cut off the likely invasion route from Brittany. It is fantastically preserved inside and out, so it remains every inch the medieval stronghold: crenellated ramparts and defensive towers jut out from the jumbled rooftops of the surrounding village.
One of the few châteaux with its original medieval interior, the castle (reached via a creaky drawbridge), has 15th-century furniture throughout its flag-stoned rooms. Among many fine Flemish and Aubusson tapestries look out for one from 1530 depicting astrological signs; an intricate Les Mille …
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Château d’Azay-le-Rideau
Romantic, moat-ringed Azay-le-Rideau is wonderfully adorned with slender turrets, geometric windows and decorative stonework, wrapped up within a shady landscaped park. Built in the 1500s on a natural island in middle of the River Indre, the château is one of the Loire’s loveliest: Honoré de Balzac called it a ‘multifaceted diamond set in the River Indre’.
Its most famous feature is its open loggia staircase, in the Italian style, overlooking the central courtyard and decorated with the salamanders and ermines of François I and Queen Claude. The interior is mostly 19th century, remodelled by the Marquis de Biencourt from the original 16th-century château built by …
reviewed
