Pays de la Loire: Land of Chateaux

I am behind, but I'll try to catch up a bit today. Last weekend EDUCO took us to Pays de la Loire to visit two chateaux - Chambord (above) and le Chateau de Blois. Since it takes decades to build one of these things, each chateau exhibits multiple architectural styles as well as the symbols (logos?) of multiple sovereigns.

Fireplace at Blois: King Salamander, Queen Ermine (François I, Anne de Bretagne)

Chambord was built as a hunting lodge in the middle of a park the size of Paris. While it is architecturally striking, it's mostly empty these days. Blois, on the other hand, remains richly decorated with paintings and furniture relating to some of the intrigues that took place at the chateau.

Above, the king's bedchamber, where Henri III had the duc de Guise assassinated after inviting him in for a private audience. According to popular legend, he died at the foot of the bed. The painting on the right depicts the scene.

Throne

Staircase at Blois, design attributed to Da Vinci; EDUCOers

Royal Seal, Ceiling of Catherine de Medici's office.

Another scandal: Henri II arranged the royal emblem so that the "H" (Henri) and "C" arranged to form the shape of a "D", for Diane de Poitiers, his mistress, who coincidentally was also 20 years older than him.

Though it was pretty spare inside, Chambord offered some great views: