Châteaux part 2
- 1. History! Because of the Italian War of 1521-1526, the building had to be stopped. Of course, there were other reasons, such as there being no funds and they had difficulty laying the foundations, but that was the major reason. By the time 1524 came around, the walls weren’t only but just over ground level In 1526, the building was resumed and some 1,8000 workers built the château. In 1547, when King François died, they had already spent 444,070 livres (the French dollar at the time) The château was not built for long stays. It did not have a village around it to supply food so the people usually survived off of the game that they brought in with them. Because it wasn’t meant for long stays, each time the King came out they would bring furniture, wall coverings, and eating implements. The château was unfurnished because it wasn’t meant for long stays, so each time the King came, they had to bring all of the necessities fit for a King. After King François death, the château practically went ignored. In 1639, King Louis XIII gave the château to his brother, Gaston d’Orléans. Gaston saved the château from despair and did a ton of restoration work. King Louis XIV had the keep restored and furnished all of the royal apartments. He also added a 1,200 horse stable, something that would be very much needed. The château went through many periods when it was ignored. Le pouvre!
- 2. More History! In 1792, around the time of the Revolution, the Revolutionary government sold the furnishings of the Château de Chambord. The wall panelings were removed, floors were taken up and sold, and doors were even burnt to keep the rooms warm while they held the auctions. Château de Chambord remained empty and forgotten until Napoleon Bonaparte gave it to a subordinate. When World War I started, all hope was lost for any hope of restoration. During the Franco- Prussian War the Château In 1915, Château de Chambord was taken by the enemy, but the Duke of de Chambord was used as Parma sued to get it back. The dispute was not settled until 1932. a field hospital. Restoration was then continued a few years after World War II ended Now it is a major tourist attraction that some of us will be visiting when we go to France!
- 3. Château Stay! The name of the château I picked is Château de Bienveillant! It’s located in the Pyrénées Mountains. It was built by the Monpezat family in the early 16th century. There’s not much other history besides that. The interior of the Château de Bienveillant is very Renaissance. It has all the styles, while being up to date enough so that it is safe to sleep in. They have rich warm colors (I advise going there during the winter, that way it doesn’t seem so stuffy) and it looks like a place that I would love to stay! They have a lot of good amenities that I would expect any hotel to have. Though it’s not a hotel so it did shock me a bit to find some stuff. They allow pets, which is very important for animal lovers, and they also have a heated outdoor pool. That I found shocking, considering the fact that some hotels don’t even heat their pools. It holds 22 people, I found that to seem like not a lot, but when I actually thought about it, it does seem like a lot.
- 4. Château Stay Con... In the surrounding area you are able to do multiple things: tennis courts are in the village, which is very close horseback riding is only 15 minutes away taking a 45-minute drive you can go golfing (something that I’m not very interested in, but hey, to each their own) hunting and fishing, although you have to have a license, are able on the grounds of the château mountain climbing and skiing are very able with a 45-minute drive also white-water rafter and parasailing
- 5. If I Stayed... If I stayed at the Château I would stay for two weeks. I would arrive on the 8th of October and leave on the 20th of October. That would cost me 17,643 euros. In dollars that would be $23,297.87 Yeesh! That’s expensive!