Unesco World Heritage site
Tours is approx. 25 km and 30 minutes away
Exceptional site of French history
This emblematic monument and its landscaped gardens offer one of the most remarkable panoramas of the Loire valley, and are registered as a World Heritage site by Unesco. Each visit has its own special way of looking at this exceptional site of French history: its political and artistic importance within Europe in the Renaissance; intimate moments in the sovereigns' lives, daily life in Court and behind the scenes.
History
The Court of the Valois kings in the 15th and 16th century
Charles VII. and Marie d'Anjou
His refuge at Bourges marks the beginning of the stays of the Kings in the Loire Valley" The court was established at Loches and Chinon while the fortified Château of Amboise (15th Century clock tower) housed the archers.
Historical evenings can recreate the atmosphere of life at the Royal Court
The cup bearer's room for champaign reception
Louis XI and Charlotte of Savoy
Although the King resided at the Château of Plessis-lès-Tours, he chose Amboise as the residence for the Queen and the Dauphin, born at Amboise in 1470. The Château was entered via a ramp and drawbridge. An oratory stood against the wall of the château on the south side. In 1469, the King founded the first French chivalric order, the Order of Saint Michael at the collegiate church of Saint Florentin, a Romanesque church dating from the 12th century located inside the châtea.
The council room
