A look at the history of French chateaux
The French for hundreds of years built defensive, and opulent state homes to protect their country
or to provide the wealthy with an impressive residence. This page looks at the history of chateaux
and how things have progressed over the ages from fortifications to renaissance palaces.
Fortifications
Important towns in the Middle Ages were surrounded by castle fortifications to protect the financial
importance of the towns and it's inhabitants. The walls and towers were thick and made to withstand an attack from opposing armies. Towns were set up to be self-sufficient for some time, especially in case of a city siege. In the 16th century castle walls were made thicker to be able to stand a chance against the ever advancing artillery. Bridges were used to cut access to the city at times
of
war or danger.
The keep housed the noble family and was the last form of defense against invaders. Before the 12th century many castles were made of a mix of timber and earthwork.
During and after the 12th century most castles were upgraded to stone structures. There are still
many castles in France with their fortifications intact, including impressive moats.
Renaissance
A good example of French renaissance is the magnificent Château de Chambord, the largest
castle in the Loire Valley. It was built for King François I but only used as hunting lodge as the king kept residence in his other castles. One of the earliest renaissance chateaux in France is
Château d'Amboise, which was one of the residences of the abovementioned King François I who modified it and upgraded it intensively. Italy was the biggest inspiration to French Renaissance architecture However, the French successfully mixed Italian Renaissance and medieval French such as at Château de Chambord.
In the 19th century the wealthy built chateaux that looked similar to the ones during the Renaissance. There is still a lot of interest in this period. The main French renaissance chateau
get millions of visitors every year.
With the decline of aristocracy many tried to "unload" their chateaux, or simply left them to decay into ruins that you can still view today. There has been a small revival in foreigners buying French chateau, however, many were surprised by the immense upkeep that these beautiful buildings required. Thankfully, the French government provides generous subsidies to protect important historical buildings from completely falling into disrepair.