Château de Chenonceau

A château spanning the river Cher at Chenonceaux, Indre-et-Loire. Built in the early 16th century, it is known for the two-storey gallery that crosses the river and for the women who shaped it.

The Château de Chenonceau spans the river Cher near the village of Chenonceaux in the Loire Valley, and is one of the best-known châteaux of the region. The present château was built in the early 16th century on the foundations of an old mill.

Several women left their mark on it, earning it the nickname “Château des Dames”. Diane de Poitiers, who received it as a gift from Henry II, had a bridge built across the river between 1556 and 1559 to designs by Philibert de l’Orme, and under Catherine de’ Medici a two-storey gallery was raised on top of the bridge. Owned by the Menier family since 1913, the château is open to visitors and lies within the Loire Valley World Heritage Site.