Castles Part 3: Chaumont-Sur-Loire

The last castle we visited was Chaumont-sur-Loire, another state-owned castle with magnificent grounds. When we arrived, the first thing we noticed was that everything was all decorated for fall.

Pumpkins and squash

The stables, with decorated path to the castle.

The castle itself seems to be something out of a fairy tale, and the decor in the rooms on the first floor was spectacular.

Beautiful!

The Ruggieri room - the astrologer of Catherine de Medicis

Sign on chimney could also represent
Diane de Poitiers - three full moons,
since Diana is the Roman goddess of
the moon.

Stained Glass in the Catherine de Medicis room

The council room. The wall painting was found during the
2006 restoration

Exquisite

Council room floor - 17th century tiles from Sicily.

The Grand Salon - 19th century decor, as it might have looked
when the Prince and Princess of Broglie lived here

Until the early 20th century, the castle was inhabited by the Prince and Princess of Broglie, who were known for their expensive receptions and distinguished guests (such as Don Carlos of Portugal [haha], Edward VII, Charles I of Romania, Sarah Bernhardt). They were responsible for the restoration of several rooms (notably the Ruggieri room, council room, the Catherine de Medicis and Diane de Poitiers rooms, and the guardroom) and the modernization of the castle. Unfortunately they made some bad investments and the French state expropriated the Princess in 1938. It has been in public hands ever since, with the latest restorations taking place in the 2000s.

The castle and the grounds were filled with art installations, with everything from bird nests to the projected life of a tree.

But my favourite part of the visit was something perhaps one in 10 visitors actually sees. When we arrived, we were 20 minutes late for the guided tour, but we had a brochure with information, so we wandered through the rooms at our own leisure. We caught up to the group at the staircase (pictured above, with the fall decor) and since Aimy was starting to get a bit agitated, we didn't feel comfortable waiting around with them. The guide indicated that if people were interested, they could continue up the stairs to an art exhibition at the top level, or they could continue on the tour. Seeing as everyone in the group continued on with the tour, we decided to go upstairs and see what this art exhibit was about.

At the top of the stairs we found a dark room, very different from the sumptuous decor we had seen previously. The walls were cracked, the fireplace was dirty, and the floors were creaky and dusty. In the window was a stained glass piece obviously by the artist to whom the exhibition was dedicated. Everything else seemed shabby and unkempt. Curious, we moved on to the next room, where things were even worse. Dark, dusty room, peeling walls, exposed and aged wooden beams in the ceiling, and a piece of art in the window... We weren't surprised to find ourselves alone there, and in fact another couple came up the stairs behind us, took one look at the room and promptly went downstairs again.

They didn't know what they would be missing.

We were still curious, so we went through the door to the next room and found ourselves in the hallway under the eaves, in the old servants quarters... and felt like we had been transported back in time. Everything was dusty and falling apart, but I felt as though we were getting a glimpse of what the castle was really like when people lived there. From room to room we saw layers and layers of wallpaper, dusty marble fireplaces  and late 19th century electrical wiring, exposed wooden frames... it really impressed upon me the amount of work it must take for anyone to restore a castle that has been modernized (with all the old beauties of the walls etc. covered over to make it look more modern and holes punched in the walls for cables and pipes without a care of how ugly it looked) and turn it back into a period building. And since we only saw 2 other people when we were there, it only lent to the feeling that we were intruding on the ghosts of the castle, as if we had broken in to an abandoned building and were illegally traipsing around, looking for treasure... (and I even ended up finding an unlocked door with a Do Not Enter sign on it and climbing up the stairs to arrive in more 'hidden' rooms.) It was quite the adventure.

One of the old servant's rooms filled with odds and ends.

5 layers down to the original wallpaper... with signs telling us
not to touch.

One of the rooms we discovered.

We made our way out of this part of the castle, not without feeling a fair bit of awe. When we got outside we realized two things: first, that there was a hot air balloon floating above the castle, making for some great pictures, and secondly, that Aimy had fallen asleep in the carrier. We went back to the car and put her down in the back seat, where she slept calmly for nearly an hour. In the end, it was a full and exciting day!

Sleeping like an angel.