The Château de Chenonceau is a castle in the Loire Valley of central France that spans the River Cher on a series of arches. A fortified manor and mill stood on the site in the 15th century, and the present château was built after 1513 by Thomas Bohier, a royal financier, and his wife Katherine Briçonnet. Henry II gave it to his mistress Diane de Poitiers, who laid out gardens and built a bridge across the river. After the king's death his widow, Catherine de' Medici, forced Diane to exchange it for another castle and added a gallery over the bridge. Because women shaped it, it is nicknamed the Château des Dames. During the Second World War the Cher marked the line between occupied and unoccupied France, and the gallery served as an escape route.
Before and after
- 1410Construction of tomb of Philip II the Bold
- 1410Construction of Prague Astronomical Clock
- 15 July 1410Battle of Grunwald
- from 26 July 1410 to 19 September 1410Siege of Marienburg
- 1411Construction of Château de Chenonceau
- 1412Birth of Joan of Arc
- 1413Founding of University of St Andrews
- from 1414 to 1451Sayyid dynasty
- from July 1414 to October 1414Hunger War
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- 802 CEConstruction of Angkor Wat
- from 2 February 962 CE to 6 August 1806Holy Roman Empire
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- 1193Origins of Chernobyl
- 1373Construction of Leaning Tower of Pisa
The era
This moment belongs to the Medieval world (500 CE to 1500 CE), kingdoms, faiths and trade routes. You can also browse everything in the 15th century.