Before I say anything about this castle, if I show you a picture of it, what does it remind you of?
Nothing jumps out at you? What if I show you this picture?
That's right. Carlos, Aimy and I visited Captain Haddock's home, Marlinspike Hall (Moulinsart in French). Cheverny castle was the inspiration for the captain's fictional home, though with the two outer wings removed. Cheverny is one of the most beautifully furnished private castles I have visited. It has belonged to the same family for 600 years, the Hurault family. It has been open to the public since 1922 and was used as a hiding place for many of France's national art treasures, such as the Mona Lisa, during World War II.
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| Dining room. |
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| Ceiling in the hallway. Wow! |
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| Birth chamber: for showing off your newborn. |
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| Child's bedroom. Wooden horses from the Napoleon III era. |
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| Actual dress worn by the Marquise de Vibraye at her wedding. |
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| The library |
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| Louis XV-era clock. It still works! |
The grounds are also gorgeous, and despite a bit of a chill, we really enjoyed being outside. The exterior of the castle is interesting: the north side was constructed in a strict Louis XIII style, with cut stone corners and smaller blocks between them, while the south side is decorated with the busts of Roman emperors.
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| On a bench in the 'English' garden. |
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| Standing in front of the north side of Cheverny |
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| Cute and cozy baby! |
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| View of both sides (and styles) of the castle |
And before we left, I had to get my picture taken with Tintin and Captain Haddock. It just wouldn't have been right to do otherwise!
Next entry: Chaumont-sur-Loire
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