Sights in Château De Chaumont
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Chaumont-sur-Loire
Set on a defensible bluff behind the Loire, Chaumont-sur-Loire presents a resolutely medieval face, with its cylindrical corner turrets and sturdy drawbridge, but the interior mostly dates from the 19th century.
At least two earlier fortresses occupied the site (whose name derives from Chauve Mont, ‘Bald Hill’), but the main phase of construction for the present château began sometime around 1465 under Pierre d’Amboise. Originally a strictly defensive fortress, the castle became a short-lived residence for Catherine de Médicis following the death of Henry II in 1560, and later passed into the hands of Diane de Poitiers (Henry II’s mistress), who was forced to swap the alt…
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