They adorn the banks of the river like jewelry on the arm of a princess. The castles of the Loire, mostly built or renovated during the Renaissance to compete with the finesse of Italian art, have begun their deconfinement. Not all have reopened yet. Impossible, for example, to enter Chambord or Chenonceau. But the Loire Valley is home to enough treasures to console itself. In Chaumont-sur-Loire, Clos Lucé or Amboise, visits have resumed with the necessary sanitary facilities. Here is a selection of these monuments, witnesses of an era when military equipment was erased in favor of aesthetic ornaments.
Read also: The castles of the Loire, heralds of the reopening
Amboise, elevated elegance
Perched 40 meters above the water at the confluence of the Amasse and the Loire, the Château d'Amboise became a royal residence during the reign of Charles VIII, at the end of the 15th century. The sovereigns gradually transformed the old medieval stronghold into a sumptuous royal palace. Among the illustrious guests of the castle like Catherine de Médicis, François Ier or Jean de la Fontaine, one of them still lives there. It is about Leonardo da Vinci, whose tomb is located within the Saint-Hubert Chapel, within the palace. To enter the monument opened since May 20, masks are on sale. The guided tours are maintained, but only from 8:30 am to 9:30 am and within the limit of nine visitors at a time. Self-guided tours start at 10 a.m.
Royal Castle of Amboise. Rise of Emir Abd el Kader, 37400 Amboise. 8:30 am to 6:30 pm, Closed Tuesday. Entrance: 13.10 € (7-18 years old: 9 €).
Blois, three wings, three atmospheres
Since May 16, we can again visit the castle and its facades in Gothic, Renaissance and Classical styles. Elie - stock.adobe.com
Who knows how many shenanigans have heard the walls of the rooms of the Royal Castle of Blois? Henri IV or Marie de Medici, during their stay, certainly imagined some of them. Since May 16, we can again visit the castle and its facades in Gothic, Renaissance and Classical styles. Provided of course to put on a mask and respect distance and direction of traffic. No more rushing down as before the monumental staircase, visible from the courtyard, or following guided tours. A guide, however, parks in the courtyard to give directions. And, along the route traced by the curators, visitors will pass by the museum of fine arts in the Louis XII wing, often neglected in normal times.
Royal Castle of Blois. 6, Place du Château 41000 Blois. Tel .: 02 54 90 33 33. Open every day, only in the afternoon (until June 2). Entrance: 17 € (6-17 years old: 6.50 €).
Clos Lucé, the lair of Leonardo da Vinci
The castle traces the life of Italian genius today. David Brown - stock.adobe.com
Located a few meters from the royal castle of Amboise, the Clos Lucé castle welcomed Leonardo da Vinci for the last years of his life. At the invitation of François I, the painter settled there with three of his masterpieces: Mona Lisa , The Virgin, Child Jesus and Saint Anne and Saint John the Baptist . Today, the castle traces the life of Italian genius. The pieces are reconstructed there as in the artist's time, while the garden illustrates the influence of nature on his work. The park is filled with avant-garde inventions of Leonardo: tank, aerial screw or double span bridge 20 meters high. Since the reopening on May 20, sanitary measures must guarantee the safety of visitors. In addition to physical distance and the wearing of a mandatory mask, online payment is preferred. Guided tours are maintained for groups limited to nine visitors.
Clos Lucé Castle - Leonardo da Vinci Park. 2, rue du Clos-Lucé, 37400 Amboise. Tel: 02 47 57 00 73. Open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Entrance: 17 € (6-18 years old: 12 €).
Loches, the beautiful Middle Ages
A 39-meter high dungeon overlooks the royal house. Yuriy Brykaylo
Residence of Joan of Arc and François I, the Royal City of Loches reconciles feudal times with the Renaissance. A 39 meter high keep, among the best preserved from the Romanesque period, overlooks the royal house, a jewel of Gothic architecture. A museum now lives in what was one of the favorite residences of the Valois dynasty, while a soothing medieval-inspired garden has blossomed at the foot of the keep. Visitors are welcome again since May 21. Wearing a mask is compulsory for children over 11 years old. Hydroalcoholic gel dispensers, markings on the ground and one-way access ensure barrier gestures. Access to the dungeon is limited to 22 people and access to the home to 23 people. Some spaces remain closed to the public, such as the anteroom of the Anne of Brittany oratory or the New Tower.
Royal City of Loches. 5, place Charles-VII, 37600 Loches. Phone. : 02 47 19 18 08. Open daily from 9h to 19h. Entrance: 10.5 € (7-18 years old: 8.5 €).
Chaumont-sur-Loire, quiet charm
Since May 16, the monument has reopened, and with it the 32 hectares of the estate and its stables. Jeantrekkeur - stock.adobe.com
Burned and razed by Louis XI in 1465, the castle of Chaumont-sur-Loire metamorphoses into a jewel of the Renaissance. From 1560, Diane de Poitiers added to the sculptures that came to decorate the façades the walkways of the entrance châtelet and the Saint-Nicolas tower. The castle takes its current form with the destruction of the north wing, which opens a point of view on the Loire.
Since May 16, the monument has reopened, and with it the 32 hectares of the estate as well as the stables and their harnesses made by the Hermès house. Visitors must reserve a visiting slot (10 am-2pm or 2 pm-7pm) and wear a mask. A route is planned to avoid crossing between people in parks and gardens. The restaurants remain closed.
Domain of Chaumont-sur-Loire. 41150 Chaumont-sur-Loire. Phone. : 02 54 20 99 22. Open daily from 10h to 19h. Entrance: 19 € (12-18 years old: 12 €).
Villandry, the flowery estate
Vast gardens adjoin the facades of the castle. rysan34 - stock.adobe.com
After having directed the Chambord site for several years, Jean le Breton acquired the Villandry estate in 1532. The secretary of François I decided to build a Renaissance castle there. He razed the old medieval building, with the exception of the keep against which three houses are built in the shape of a horseshoe. Medieval legacies and Italian influences are evacuated in favor of a purely French symmetrical style. Outside, large gardens adjoin the facades of the castle. The ornamental garden, an extension of the indoor lounges, the vegetable garden, the water garden and the garden of the sun created in the 19th century.
Visitors are once again invited to walk the flowered paths, open every day since May 16, while respecting social distancing. The castle itself can only be visited on weekends. The wearing of a mask is compulsory in the castle, and strongly recommended in the gardens, while the purchase of tickets online is preferred.
Villandry Castle. 3, rue Principale, 37510 Villandry. Tel .: 02 47 50 02 09. Gardens open every day from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on May 30, 31 and June 1. Castle open from 10 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. on May 30, 31 and June 1. Entrance to the castle and garden: € 12. Gardens only: € 7.5 (8 to 18 years old: € 7 and € 5).
