Tag: Châteaux
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Why Two Women Fought Over the Most Beautiful Château in France
Discover how a royal mistress and a queen fought over Château de Chenonceau — and how their centuries-long rivalry shaped the Loire Valley’s most beautiful castle — plus get weekly France stories free in our newsletter.
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Why French Kings Kept Fleeing Paris for the Loire Valley
Discover the power struggles, royal rivalries, and dramatic histories behind the Loire Valley châteaux that shaped France — plus get weekly France stories free in our newsletter.
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The Loire Valley Château With 237 Secret Hiding Places — and Why They Were Built
Inside Château de Blois, a small oak-panelled study hides 237 secret compartments built for Catherine de Medici. The legend of what she kept there has never been fully settled.
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The French Prince Who Believed He’d Return as a Horse — and Built Accordingly
In 1719, Louis-Henri de Bourbon began building stables at Chantilly — not for vanity, but because he genuinely believed he’d be reincarnated as a horse. The result is one of France’s most extraordinary buildings.
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The Château That Made Louis XIV So Furious He Imprisoned Its Owner
Nicolas Fouquet built the most magnificent château in France — and threw a party so spectacular that Louis XIV had him arrested three weeks later.
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France Is Building a Real Medieval Castle From Scratch — and You Can Watch
In a forest in Burgundy, workers are building a real 13th-century castle using only medieval tools and techniques. Guédelon is unlike anywhere else in France.
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The French Château That Took 28 Years to Build — and Was Barely Ever Used
Château de Chambord took 28 years to build — and France’s greatest king barely slept there. Discover the double helix staircase mystery and the story of the Loire’s most spectacular château.