Chenonceau Castle: France's most elegant "Queen's Castle"

Most girls have a dream of living in a castle. In romantic France, there is a "Queen's Castle" - Chenonceau Castle on the Cher River. In 1547, King Henry II of France married Catherine, who came from a prominent Italian family, as his queen. However, he fell in love with Diana, a widow who was 20 years older than him and was already 50 years old at the time. He gave her the Château de Chenonceau as a gift. Diana decorated the garden of the castle and built a long bridge over the Cher River. After King Henry II died in 1559, Catherine not only drove Diana out of the Castle of Chenonceau, she also built a double-decker gallery on the long bridge, turning it into the most luxurious social center at the time. She became the queen mother of three generations of French kings, influenced French politics for 20 years, and brought fashion and art to France. The third hostess of Chenonceau Castle was Madame Louise Dupont. She was a representative of the Enlightenment in the 18th century. Her salon at Chenonceau Castle gathered the most outstanding elites of the time. People like Montesquieu, Voltaire and Rousseau were all guests of honor here. It is said that her wisdom saved the castle from destruction during the French Revolution. The castle is a mixture of Gothic and early Renaissance architectural styles. After being taken care of by generations of hostesses, its exquisite and beautiful posture exudes a strong feminine atmosphere.