There are more than three hundred. Chambord has a double helix staircase made by Leonardo da Vinci

June is the ideal month to visit the castles of the Loire Valley, a UNESCO heritage site. If only because the mild weather and flowering gardens at the end of spring make this enchanting journey even more special, which satisfies those who love history, of course, good wine and dreamers.

seizures

It is almost impossible to visit all the palaces. There are over 300 without counting the many houses. Unlike the English, the French built a fort during the Hundred Years’ War in each area that was later incorporated into the estates of the nobles. The family, which, with the Wars of Italy of the fifteenth century, came into contact with the Italian Renaissance and with the use of “tuffu”, a soft cut stone, transformed the bastions into elegant palaces, which prospered when the French kings annexed the valley to their empire. Chosen as the house and dragged the court.

Map

To organize your visit, there are several maps available online (www.chateaux-de-la-Loire.fr). A piece of advice: It is advised to prepare a list of priorities and customize the trip by checking the opening hours. Meanwhile, here are the inevitable castles. of Chenonceau, named after the Château des Dames. It was given by Henry II to his mistress Diane de Poitiers and was recovered by Catherine de Medici (his wife) on the king’s death. It is no coincidence that this palace resembles the Ponte Vecchio in Florence. Then the Palace of Fontainebleau (the set of about sixty films including The Iron Mask with Leonardo DiCaprio.

First

Another must, there are also suites, is the Château de Cheverny. For six centuries it has belonged to the des Hurault de Vibraye family, who in 1922 were the first to decide to open a private castle to the general public. It has extravagant furniture, six thematic gardens, a golf course, a maze and inspired the Belgian cartoonist Hergé for the castle of Moulinesert, home of Tintin’s companion Capitaine Haddock. In short, ideal for the little ones. Those who are on the path of Leonardo da Vinci must make three stops. in Chambord (60 rooms, luxuriously furnished, 4500 objets d’art) which boasts the double helix staircase of Italian genius, a symbol of perpetual renewal. This allows two people to go up at the same time without crossing each other. The royal palace of Amboise where his tomb is located and, to complete, Château Le Clos Lucé to tour the reconstructed rooms where he lived. Château d’Aze-le-Rideau, a symbol of the French Renaissance and is said to have inspired Perrault for the story of Sleeping Beauty.

garden

Not to be forgotten are the sixteen fairy tale gardens of Château du Rivau and those of Château de Villandry and Château de Chaumont sur Loire. Finally, the fascinating dungeons of the Château de Braze. It is a castle under a castle built to defend against the Vikings.

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on Corriere Adriatico