Katherine Briconnet and the first castle
The Chenonceau we admire today was built in 1513 by Katherine Briconnet, the first of the dynamic women whose names run through the castle's history. Her work gave the estate its early Renaissance character and set the tone for the refinements that successive owners would add over the following centuries.
Diane de Poitiers and her garden
King Henri II gave Chenonceau to Diane de Poitiers, Duchess of Valentinois, the wealthy and celebrated royal favorite. She developed the right bank of the Cher and commissioned Pacello da Mercoliano to lay out a magnificent garden that still bears her name today. Her terraced parterre, set above retaining walls, seems almost suspended over the waters of the river.
Catherine de Medicis and the great gallery
The death of Henri II prompted his widow, Catherine de Medicis, to reclaim the castle. She in turn set about embellishing it, and to her we owe a pivotal moment in the history of Chenonceau, the construction of the splendid gallery that spans the Cher and allows visitors to cross the river under cover. This bridge gallery became the signature feature of the castle and the heart of its festive life at court.
From the Dupin family to the Menier era
Bought by the Dupin family in 1733, Chenonceau enjoyed many peaceful years and was spared the excesses of the Revolution. It was sold again in 1864 to Marguerite Pelouze, and the last change of ownership in its long history came in 1913, when Henri Menier acquired the estate. Through each of these hands the castle kept its identity as the Castle of Ladies, a monument shaped by emblematic figures of their time.
