| The castle of Chaumont was built from 1465 to 1510 on the fondations of the original fortress that was destroyed by Louis XI. The castle was built high on a hill next to the Loire River. It is so high that the moat is empty because water could not be pumped up to it. The castle has had many owners, Catherine de Médicis bought Chaumont in 1560 and forced Diane de Poiters to accept it in exchange of Chenonceau. In 1875, Chaumont was bought by Marie Charlotte Say who set about renovating the castle. There are three different wings to visit. The castles contains many tapestries and fine furniture. There is a collection of terracotta medallions of the past owners and visitors of Chaumont including Benjamin Franklin, Voltaire, Marie-Antionette and Catherine II of Russia. After visiting the various rooms you can also visit the stables and the park. The park is 21 hectares, which is made up in part by a large wooded area and several English stlye gardens. Each year the Castle hosts "le festival des jardins", which features several creators of contemporary gardens. The theme for 1999 was "Potager", which is a vegetable garden. |
