Located on the River Cher, near the village of Chenonceaux, the Château de Chenonceau, an architectural mixture of late Gothic and early Renaissance, is one of the best-known châteaux of the Loire Valley, and the most visited, after Palace of Versailles. The estate of Chenonceau was first mentioned in writing in the 11th century, but the current château was built in 1514-1522 on the foundations of an old mill. The bridge was built (1556-1559) to designs by the French architect Philibert de l'Orme, and the gallery on the bridge (1570–1576) to designs by Jean Bullant.
Property of the Crown, then royal residence, it is an exceptional site not only because of its original design, the richness of its collections, its furniture and its decorations, but also because of its destiny, since it was loved, administrated and protected by women. For the historical background, the "Château des Dames" was built by Katherine Briçonnet, and successively embellished by Diane de Poitiers then Catherine de' Medici, then was protected from the hardship of the revolution by Madame Dupin. Since 1913, the château belongs to the Menier family.
About the stamps
The stamps are part of the definitive series depicting Marianne, issued on July 16, 2014, about which I wrote here.
References
Château de Chenonceau - Wikipedia
Chenonceau - Official website
Sender: Ella
Sent from Valence (Rhône-Alpes / France), on 23.12.2015
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