Dec 4

Dec 4 Chateau de Chaumont and Its Gardens

On our way to Brittany, we stopped off in the Loire Valley to visit the Chateau de Chaumont near Amboise. It’s one of the lesser known chateau as it is small and focuses mostly on art installations and its show gardens.

Metal signage embedded in the footpath lest you lose your way.

in comparison to neighboring piles like Chambord and Chenonceau, Chaumont is petit. It’s more country home than grand palace, but possibly the most chateau-y, with its towers and fairy tale drawbridge.

Inside, you’ll find about a dozen furnished rooms with period furniture and some original pieces.

I was surprised to find out that this is were Diane de Poitiers ended up after Catherine de Medici kicked her out of Chenonceau following the death of Henri II. She promptly started renovating the chateau, adding the towers and generally beautifying the place. Here’s a string of interior photos to give you a little taste of the decor.

Clay molds and medallions of visiting dignitaries. Wouldn’t these make cool cookies?

Down in the basement, there a few remnants of the kitchen added in the 18th century. They also installed air vents to remove the kitchen aromas. This must have been state-of-the-art!

Dotted around the chateau and the grounds are various art installations. This one in the chapel was particularly striking.

The stables near the chateau were a later addition, but no less grand. This is the interior courtyard.

Further along, the greenhouse is packed with tropical plants and another art installation of hanging spanish moss.

The grounds around the chateau feature some truly spectacular trees like this cedar of Lebanon. It had to be at least 30 feet in diameter and 150 feet tall. It couldn’t even get it all in the frame!