PARIS
Much of James' focus on Paris is centered (understandably) around the artists who flocked there for inspiration. The city is famously known for its period of expatriate writers claiming the City Of Love as their own between the 1920s-1950s, but even earlier than that, painters took up residence to capture the light, loves, and overall energy of this beautiful city.
The other piece of Paris history that James may have experienced while touring the area - he didn't mention it specifically in the book, but it was a yearly event -- was the time of the Paris Universal Exposition, a World Fair event (similar to the one held in Chicago) that, as far as I can tell, ran at least from 1855-1900. It featured the newest and coolest in arts, theatre, science and inventions, and of course architecture (to get the people in the doors in the first place). I would have loved to walk around this place back then but at least with these cool pics, we can pretend we were there and had the chance to see these amazing architectural designs!
ANGERS & LE MANS
Much of the rest of Henry James' trip through France is a whirlwind of history, mostly regarding the local royals. He starts with Angers, a town you might recognize from Shakespeare's King John. Angers was the original homebase for the Dukes of Anjou. Henry James describes the area as doux pas or "soft, sweet country". The Chateau d'Angers, one of James' stops, was the birthplace of King Rene of Anjou (who was also King Of Naples), father to Queen Margaret of Anjou (who married King Henry VI of England). He was also brother to Marie of Anjou, onetime Queen of France, being the wife of King Charles VII of France.Wow.. this is starting to sound a little biblical lol.
King Rene himself had a bit of a sad hiccup in his love life (or political partnership, depending on how you view relationships of that era), he married the Duchess of Lorraine, Isabella, in 1419 when she was just 19, which I realize is a bit old maid - ish for the time, but when I think "what if I had to marry the guy I was seeing at 19?", it still makes me shake my head a little. It's good to live in these times ;-) The newlyweds were famously immortalized in a painting by acclaimed artist Rosetti. They had a good run but sadly Rene was left a widower in 1453. By 1454 he found himself already remarried, this time to Jeanne de Laval, more than 20 yrs his junior. Laval was said to be sweet natured and it was believed to be a happy marriage right up to the end in 1480, when Rene passed away.
Also in the Anjou line was Geoffrey V of Anjou, who somewhere got the nickname "Geoffrey The Handsome" (wonder if he started that himself or if he was that much of a hit with the ladies lol). Geoffrey founded the House of Plantagenet and married Empress Matilda, or Maude to her friends, (I'd rather go by Matilda myself.. but hey lol). Matilda was the daughter of Henry I of England and widow of Henry V, the Holy Roman Emperor and King of Germany. She was 11 years Geoffrey's senior and it was said they had a stormy marriage due to her belief that she ended up "marrying down" (you never trade down!!) but they worked it out once in awhile since she ended up giving him three sons and he inadvertently gave her the gift of letting her outlive him. I just picture the two of them having a scene in the royal bed chamber (whether it was the king's or queen's since they typically had separates) with him saying "C'mon baby, you got Geoffrey the Handsome here, all for you!!", making some macho, lewd gesture and she's giving him a look like "PUHLLEEZE" ... that's just the way history works in my brain! Maybe why I find it so fun, I play the "what if" game so much lol.
Angers was also home to Nicholas Fouquet, finance minister to Louis XIV. His name instantly reminded me of Lord Farquaad from the Shrek movies.. and there's actually a little similarity in that look that seems nice enough on top but a layer of potential sinister underneath.
One of Geoffrey and Matilda's sons, Henry II, was born in Le Mans (another town covered by James' tour), and was the grandson of the legendary William the Conquerer. Henry II, after taking the throne as King of England, was actually the first royal to specifically use the title "King Of England". Prior to Henry, monarchs used "King of the English. Ascending the throne, Henry also took on the duties of Lord of Ireland, Count of Anjou and Maine, and Duke of Normandy, Aquitaine, Gascony and Nantes. In 1152, he married Eleanor of Aquitaine when he was 19 years old. At the time of their marriage, Eleanor's first marriage to King Louis VII of France had only been annulled just a few months earlier. It's strange that the marriage was considered annulled, since they were married for some time but from what I've read, a number of French kings throughout history have had their share of bedroom troubles with the wives picked for them so maybe Eleanor was able to convince her highers up "I don't care what we did in there, that CANNOT count!" ;-)
One of Eleanor and Henry's sons, Richard I (aka Richard the Lionheart) became perhaps one of the most well known kings of England. There was a bit of family awkwardness, I'm sure, once Richard became a man and became betrothed to Princess Alys, the sister of King Philip II of France. There was already some tense relations with France, due to momma Eleanor's history there, what with the annulled marriage and all, AND the fact that Alys was the daughter of Eleanor's ex, Louis and his second wife. With her son, there was the added scandalous story of his bethrothal to Alys being called off. It seems there was a rumor going around that Alys was the secret mistress of Richard's dad, Henry and possibly the mother of one of his illegitimate children. So rather than risk having to come to terms with possibly having his dad's sloppy seconds, Richard called off his engagement to Alys and later went on to marry Berengaria, who became known as "the only Queen of England to never set foot in the country" as she preferred to live in France.
Another notable of Le Mans was Francoise d'Aubigne, Marquise de Maintenon (aka Madame de Maintenon). Francoise was the 2nd wife of King Louis XIV of France, nicknamed "the Sun King", though the marriage was never announced or publicly admitted during her lifetime... imagine being burned like that!
Francoise came from interesting parentage. Her father, Constant d'Aubigne, was imprisoned. I've read different accounts as to why .. possibly for his open opposition to Cardinal Richlieu, or was it.. oh yea.... murdering his first wife and her lover! Maybe it was the same reasoning used to nabb Al Capone ... "Yeah he's done some shady, vicious stuff, hurt people, had people killed.. but my god, he CHEATED ON HIS TAXES! *gasp*. His second wife, Francoise's mother, Jeanne de Cardillac, was actually the daughter of Constant's jailer! "So... you come round here often?" After having Francoise, Jeanne found her to be a financial burden to the already cash strapped couple, but went on to also give Constant a son, Charles. In true scoundrel fashion, Constant abandoned his second wife and children to go try to find wealth in America but died alone and more than likely no better off. Francoise and Charles grew up having to beg door to door for each day's food :-( Perhaps pushed by financial strain, Francoise married for the first time at the age of 16 to a 42 yr old, Paul Scarron, in 1652. Scarron died by 1660, leaving Francoise a respectable widow. She was later invited to an event at Versailles where she met Louis XIV and soon became a court favorite, leading up to their eventual secret marriage and subsequent children.... gotta love court intrigue!!
NANTES, AMBOIS & CHIGNON
Beautiful as it is in pictures, Nantes has a bit of a rough and tumble history. Nantes was the site of some of the worst scenes of fighting during the Reign of Terror (1793-1794), a period following the French Revolution where numerous people were labeled as "enemies of the Revolution" and killed in mass executions. Hundreds of people were executed by drowning!
It was also the birthplace of General Christophe Leon Louis Juchalt de Lamoriciere, leader of the Papal Army, in 1806. Lamoriciere was well known in his time for not supporting the presidency of Napoleon Bonaparte.
One of the most notable sites of Nantes is Nantes Cathedral, the burial site for Francis II, Duke of Brittany (or Bretagne as it was known way back when) and his second wife, Margaret of Foix. Margaret and Francis were the parents of Anne of Brittany, wife of Charles VIII. In another one of those awkward family twists, Francis II also had three illegitimate children with his mistress, Antoinette de Maignelais, who just happened to be the former mistress of Anne's father-in-law, Charles VII. As you read A Little Tour Of France, you may notice the marriage and life of Anne and Charles VIII is mentioned quite a few times throughout this work.
Amboise was the place Anne of Brittany and Charles VIII decided to call home, though "home" was said to have been made amidst a pretty rocky marriage. Anne and Charles nested themselves in their cozy cottage of Chateau Amboise. It was at Chateau Amboise that sadly one day, as he was leaving for a hunting excursion, Charles VIII bonked his head on a low door frame, shortly fell into a coma and died 9 hours later. The "heartbroken widow", Anne, didn't waste a whole lot of time in taking up with Charles' cousin and successor, Louis XII.
Another famous couple that took up residence in Amboise was Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots and her first husband , Dauphin Francis II (a different one I think... the other Francis mentioned was a duke, Mary's husband was king... if I have that right). The marriage was unexpectedly short-lived. The two married in 1558 when Mary was 16 and Francis was 14. It was just short of two years later when Francis became ill, developed an ear infection which caused an absess in his brain, killing him - just 16 years old!! I was close to that age when I developed pneumonia and an ear infection in both ears at the same time -- at the time, it felt like it might kill me but thank god for modern medicine! Also on James' tour were two other chateaus, Chateau de Chaumont and Chateau de Loches, and St. Hubert Chapel, burial site of the great Leonardo da Vinci.
One place with a bit of an interesting story behind it is the Chateau Chenonceaux, on the Cher River. Chenonceaux was designed by Pierre Trinqueau (who also designed Chateau Chambord, to be discussed in the next post) in 1515. It became the home of Thomas Bohier, who was basically what we know now as a CPA (Certified Public Accountant). Bohier got the home from a noble family that was going into bankruptcy. After Bohier's death, the Crown forced Bohier's son to return the estate to royal rule, claiming that Bohier himself had excessive debt that needed to be repaid (those sneaky royals!). Francis I took possession of Chenonceaux until his death, where it was bequeath to King Henry II who gave it to Diana of Poitiers, his royal mistress. After Henry's death, Diana was evicted from the chateau but Catherine de Medici, Henry's widow, took pity on Diana and gave her Chateau Chaumont as somewhat of a consolation prize I guess. And a nice literary connection here -- the next owners of Chateau Chenonceaux were Claude Dupin and his wife who later turned it over to Maurice Dupin de Francueil. Claude Dupin was the great -grandfather of authoress George Sand. Maurice Dupin de Francueil was her father. The real name of writer George Sand was Baroness Amantine (or Amandine, in some records) Lucille Aurore Dupin. Henry James also visited Chateau Azay le Rideau (built between 1515-1527), one of the oldest Renaissance era chateaus in France. The chateau and the property surrounding it was later turned into a commune.
Chinon is believed to be the birthplace town of French Renaissance humorist and monk (interesting combination) Francois Rabelais. James visits the castle where it is said Joan of Arc first spoke with Charles VII, in her bid to try to get him on the throne. Joan of Arc was one of the first historical figures I remember learning about and even now her story still moves me. To be so young and be brave against such persecution, to be so profoundly set in your convictions, the story always leaves me in awe when I think of it!
BORDEAUX & CHAMBORD
The port city of Bordeaux is primarily known for its famous wine industry and beautiful countryside. Wine production has been a major part of the area's economy since the 8th century and even now, every two years the town hosts VinExpo, a convention for wine professionals. James' tour of the area consists largely of his walk around shopping district, Porte du Caillou, which even today maintains its beautiful medieval architecture. The town of Bordeaux was the setting for parts of Honore de Balzac's Comedie Humanie. James mentions his appreciation for and interest in Balzac and his works quite a bit throughout this book. The word "caillou" is French for pebble or stone, but in some translations can also mean "bald". Makes sense now since caillou just reminds me of one of that cute cartoon sometimes shown on PBS - Caillou! Anyone else ever watch this show? I don't see it on much anymore but I always thought it was pretty adorable. The series was based on the children's books by Christine L'Heureux.
Also visited is nearby Biarritz, a coastal vacation spot for the wealthy and famous during the early 20th century. Such notables to use the area as an escape included Charlie Chaplin, Ernest Hemingway, and CoCo Chanel, who even opened one of her stores here. Even before the celebrities discovered the beauty of the area, Empress Josephine (wife of Napoleon Bonaparte) had a palace built here. The palace is now the Hotel du Palais.
James' time in Chambord was a whirlwind of chateau tours, beginning with Chateau de Chambord, a residence belonging to Francis I. His object of desire, Comtesse de Thoury, lived in the area so he had the place built as sort of a love memento, architecturally proclaiming his love for her. Chateau de Chambord continued to change royal ownership over the years but use of the residence declined after the reign of Henry IV. It was sometimes visited by Louis XIV but he preferred to stay at Fontainbleau, so over time the place was left mostly abandoned. How sad is that!
In 1725, Stanislaus Leczynski, the elected King of Poland, moved in after he was ousted from his throne. He stayed at Chateau de Chambord as a place of refuge for 8 years and ended up marrying his daughter to Louis XV. In 1748, Maurice de Saxe (another ancestor of author George Sand) was given Chateau Chambord in recognition of his military accomplishments. He died at the estate 2 years later. A group of Quakers in 1791 put in a request to use the chateau, perhaps as a meeting house. Not sure if that was ever granted. Funny though, I thought Quakers preferred simplicity, wonder what they planned to do with this place 'cause this isn't exactly your run of the mill, barebones house!
The most interesting story attached to this chateau was one involving Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon offered Chambord to Berthier, a marshal for Napoleon. Not sure what the guy did to be rewarded such an estate but it must have been something pretty major! After Berthier's death, his widow -- the Princess of Wagram -- hmm, just realized maybe he got the estate because of his wife's title? -- his widow gave the estate / land title to the infant Duke of Bordeaux, a potential King of France. The duke later changed his title to Comte de Chambord, but the estate was taken away from him under the government of Louis Phillipe (I guess on a whim?? Couldn't figure that out). It took him 25 years and a ton of litigation to have his property and title reinstated to him.
Other chateaus visited: Chateau de Cheverny, near Russy Forest in the Sologne countryside
Chateau de Blois, also belonged to Francis I
Chateau de Langeais, Anne of Brittany and Charles VIII were married here in the Great Hall here in 1491.
James also went through nearby Tours, the birthplace town of Honore de Balzac, mainly to see Chateau le Tours and the attached Tour de Guise -- a tower of Chateau le Tours where Charles de Lorraine, Duke of Guise and Prince of Joinville, was imprisoned (on the order of Henry II of Blois) after his father's assassination in 1588. He was held there for three years before escaping in 1591.
While in Tours, James stayed in the Hotel de L'Univers, near Lussat and continued his tour with a visit to St. Gatiens Cathedral, which holds the tombs of two of Anne and Charles' children who sadly died in infancy. They were originally held at the Basilica of St. Martin's in Tours, until an attack on the church in 1797 (during the French Revolution) left it almost entirely destroyed. The tombs were unharmed and moved to St. Gatiens in 1815.
LOCHES, TOULOUSE & BOURG-EN-BRESSE
Loches is a brief stop on James' tour. The highlight is visiting the tomb of Agnes Sorel, longtime mistress of Charles VII. She died in 1450 at the age of 28, the general ruling being "complications during pregnancy" though the exact cause is not known for sure. Some historians speculate she might have been poisoned by a jealous rival or some other person who just wanted her "out of the way".
Sorel has the distinction of being the first mistress in the history of France to be officially recognized by the royal court. Go girl! I'm always interested in the stories of the court mistresses, simply because I'm fascinated by the amount of unacknowledged power they often had over the most powerful men in the world. When I think of that combined with wondering what they might be like in their quiet moments, what they thought about, what they might have regretted, the plots they might have thought out... There's endlessly fascinating stories there. James also toured the nearby home of Jacques Couer , a French banker and merchant in Bourges.
While exploring some of the statues and friezework in Bourges Cathedral, James makes an odd statement:
CHARMING?? The guy is talking about the pits of hell and he uses the word "charming"? That little bit just left me saying... ummm, okaaay, moving on... lol
On a lighter note, James also visited La Rochelle, a one time vacation hotspot where the gentry class would go to "take the waters", soaking to cure their ailments or just feel some cleaner air for a bit. The town now hosts an international film festival every year.
Bourg-en-Bresse was the hometown of Duchess Margaret of Austria, daughter of Emperor Maximillian and his wife, Mary of Burgundy. Margaret was also the aunt of Charles V. As a child, Margaret was betrothed to Charles VIII. She was released from the betrothal so that Charles could make a political alliance in marriage to Anne of Brittany. At one time, she was even considered as a potential wife for Henry VII. Instead, Margaret was married off to John of Castile, son of Ferdinand V (King of Aragon). John died within a year of the marriage.
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James visits the Pont du Gard aqueduct in Toulouse, recording his impressions of the Roman architecture:
Much of James' focus on Paris is centered (understandably) around the artists who flocked there for inspiration. The city is famously known for its period of expatriate writers claiming the City Of Love as their own between the 1920s-1950s, but even earlier than that, painters took up residence to capture the light, loves, and overall energy of this beautiful city.
the drool-worthy library at Fontainbleau :-)
Funny - I've read a number of books about the famous couple who owned this collection
and I don't remember much about either of them being avid readers....
but I know where I'd be hanging out if I were one of their visitors
back then!
The other piece of Paris history that James may have experienced while touring the area - he didn't mention it specifically in the book, but it was a yearly event -- was the time of the Paris Universal Exposition, a World Fair event (similar to the one held in Chicago) that, as far as I can tell, ran at least from 1855-1900. It featured the newest and coolest in arts, theatre, science and inventions, and of course architecture (to get the people in the doors in the first place). I would have loved to walk around this place back then but at least with these cool pics, we can pretend we were there and had the chance to see these amazing architectural designs!
Much of the rest of Henry James' trip through France is a whirlwind of history, mostly regarding the local royals. He starts with Angers, a town you might recognize from Shakespeare's King John. Angers was the original homebase for the Dukes of Anjou. Henry James describes the area as doux pas or "soft, sweet country". The Chateau d'Angers, one of James' stops, was the birthplace of King Rene of Anjou (who was also King Of Naples), father to Queen Margaret of Anjou (who married King Henry VI of England). He was also brother to Marie of Anjou, onetime Queen of France, being the wife of King Charles VII of France.Wow.. this is starting to sound a little biblical lol.
King Rene himself had a bit of a sad hiccup in his love life (or political partnership, depending on how you view relationships of that era), he married the Duchess of Lorraine, Isabella, in 1419 when she was just 19, which I realize is a bit old maid - ish for the time, but when I think "what if I had to marry the guy I was seeing at 19?", it still makes me shake my head a little. It's good to live in these times ;-) The newlyweds were famously immortalized in a painting by acclaimed artist Rosetti. They had a good run but sadly Rene was left a widower in 1453. By 1454 he found himself already remarried, this time to Jeanne de Laval, more than 20 yrs his junior. Laval was said to be sweet natured and it was believed to be a happy marriage right up to the end in 1480, when Rene passed away.
Also in the Anjou line was Geoffrey V of Anjou, who somewhere got the nickname "Geoffrey The Handsome" (wonder if he started that himself or if he was that much of a hit with the ladies lol). Geoffrey founded the House of Plantagenet and married Empress Matilda, or Maude to her friends, (I'd rather go by Matilda myself.. but hey lol). Matilda was the daughter of Henry I of England and widow of Henry V, the Holy Roman Emperor and King of Germany. She was 11 years Geoffrey's senior and it was said they had a stormy marriage due to her belief that she ended up "marrying down" (you never trade down!!) but they worked it out once in awhile since she ended up giving him three sons and he inadvertently gave her the gift of letting her outlive him. I just picture the two of them having a scene in the royal bed chamber (whether it was the king's or queen's since they typically had separates) with him saying "C'mon baby, you got Geoffrey the Handsome here, all for you!!", making some macho, lewd gesture and she's giving him a look like "PUHLLEEZE" ... that's just the way history works in my brain! Maybe why I find it so fun, I play the "what if" game so much lol.
Angers was also home to Nicholas Fouquet, finance minister to Louis XIV. His name instantly reminded me of Lord Farquaad from the Shrek movies.. and there's actually a little similarity in that look that seems nice enough on top but a layer of potential sinister underneath.
One of Geoffrey and Matilda's sons, Henry II, was born in Le Mans (another town covered by James' tour), and was the grandson of the legendary William the Conquerer. Henry II, after taking the throne as King of England, was actually the first royal to specifically use the title "King Of England". Prior to Henry, monarchs used "King of the English. Ascending the throne, Henry also took on the duties of Lord of Ireland, Count of Anjou and Maine, and Duke of Normandy, Aquitaine, Gascony and Nantes. In 1152, he married Eleanor of Aquitaine when he was 19 years old. At the time of their marriage, Eleanor's first marriage to King Louis VII of France had only been annulled just a few months earlier. It's strange that the marriage was considered annulled, since they were married for some time but from what I've read, a number of French kings throughout history have had their share of bedroom troubles with the wives picked for them so maybe Eleanor was able to convince her highers up "I don't care what we did in there, that CANNOT count!" ;-)
One of Eleanor and Henry's sons, Richard I (aka Richard the Lionheart) became perhaps one of the most well known kings of England. There was a bit of family awkwardness, I'm sure, once Richard became a man and became betrothed to Princess Alys, the sister of King Philip II of France. There was already some tense relations with France, due to momma Eleanor's history there, what with the annulled marriage and all, AND the fact that Alys was the daughter of Eleanor's ex, Louis and his second wife. With her son, there was the added scandalous story of his bethrothal to Alys being called off. It seems there was a rumor going around that Alys was the secret mistress of Richard's dad, Henry and possibly the mother of one of his illegitimate children. So rather than risk having to come to terms with possibly having his dad's sloppy seconds, Richard called off his engagement to Alys and later went on to marry Berengaria, who became known as "the only Queen of England to never set foot in the country" as she preferred to live in France.
Another notable of Le Mans was Francoise d'Aubigne, Marquise de Maintenon (aka Madame de Maintenon). Francoise was the 2nd wife of King Louis XIV of France, nicknamed "the Sun King", though the marriage was never announced or publicly admitted during her lifetime... imagine being burned like that!
Francoise came from interesting parentage. Her father, Constant d'Aubigne, was imprisoned. I've read different accounts as to why .. possibly for his open opposition to Cardinal Richlieu, or was it.. oh yea.... murdering his first wife and her lover! Maybe it was the same reasoning used to nabb Al Capone ... "Yeah he's done some shady, vicious stuff, hurt people, had people killed.. but my god, he CHEATED ON HIS TAXES! *gasp*. His second wife, Francoise's mother, Jeanne de Cardillac, was actually the daughter of Constant's jailer! "So... you come round here often?" After having Francoise, Jeanne found her to be a financial burden to the already cash strapped couple, but went on to also give Constant a son, Charles. In true scoundrel fashion, Constant abandoned his second wife and children to go try to find wealth in America but died alone and more than likely no better off. Francoise and Charles grew up having to beg door to door for each day's food :-( Perhaps pushed by financial strain, Francoise married for the first time at the age of 16 to a 42 yr old, Paul Scarron, in 1652. Scarron died by 1660, leaving Francoise a respectable widow. She was later invited to an event at Versailles where she met Louis XIV and soon became a court favorite, leading up to their eventual secret marriage and subsequent children.... gotta love court intrigue!!
Loire River, France (runs past Nantes)
NANTES, AMBOIS & CHIGNON
Beautiful as it is in pictures, Nantes has a bit of a rough and tumble history. Nantes was the site of some of the worst scenes of fighting during the Reign of Terror (1793-1794), a period following the French Revolution where numerous people were labeled as "enemies of the Revolution" and killed in mass executions. Hundreds of people were executed by drowning!
It was also the birthplace of General Christophe Leon Louis Juchalt de Lamoriciere, leader of the Papal Army, in 1806. Lamoriciere was well known in his time for not supporting the presidency of Napoleon Bonaparte.
One of the most notable sites of Nantes is Nantes Cathedral, the burial site for Francis II, Duke of Brittany (or Bretagne as it was known way back when) and his second wife, Margaret of Foix. Margaret and Francis were the parents of Anne of Brittany, wife of Charles VIII. In another one of those awkward family twists, Francis II also had three illegitimate children with his mistress, Antoinette de Maignelais, who just happened to be the former mistress of Anne's father-in-law, Charles VII. As you read A Little Tour Of France, you may notice the marriage and life of Anne and Charles VIII is mentioned quite a few times throughout this work.
Amboise was the place Anne of Brittany and Charles VIII decided to call home, though "home" was said to have been made amidst a pretty rocky marriage. Anne and Charles nested themselves in their cozy cottage of Chateau Amboise. It was at Chateau Amboise that sadly one day, as he was leaving for a hunting excursion, Charles VIII bonked his head on a low door frame, shortly fell into a coma and died 9 hours later. The "heartbroken widow", Anne, didn't waste a whole lot of time in taking up with Charles' cousin and successor, Louis XII.
Another famous couple that took up residence in Amboise was Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots and her first husband , Dauphin Francis II (a different one I think... the other Francis mentioned was a duke, Mary's husband was king... if I have that right). The marriage was unexpectedly short-lived. The two married in 1558 when Mary was 16 and Francis was 14. It was just short of two years later when Francis became ill, developed an ear infection which caused an absess in his brain, killing him - just 16 years old!! I was close to that age when I developed pneumonia and an ear infection in both ears at the same time -- at the time, it felt like it might kill me but thank god for modern medicine! Also on James' tour were two other chateaus, Chateau de Chaumont and Chateau de Loches, and St. Hubert Chapel, burial site of the great Leonardo da Vinci.
Also near Chateau de Chaumont is the pretty cool looking park and walking trail, Parc des Buttes. I would love to take that walk up to that gazebo!
waterfall in Parc des Buttes -
okay, definitely going on my places to see list!
I LOVE waterfall hikes!
One place with a bit of an interesting story behind it is the Chateau Chenonceaux, on the Cher River. Chenonceaux was designed by Pierre Trinqueau (who also designed Chateau Chambord, to be discussed in the next post) in 1515. It became the home of Thomas Bohier, who was basically what we know now as a CPA (Certified Public Accountant). Bohier got the home from a noble family that was going into bankruptcy. After Bohier's death, the Crown forced Bohier's son to return the estate to royal rule, claiming that Bohier himself had excessive debt that needed to be repaid (those sneaky royals!). Francis I took possession of Chenonceaux until his death, where it was bequeath to King Henry II who gave it to Diana of Poitiers, his royal mistress. After Henry's death, Diana was evicted from the chateau but Catherine de Medici, Henry's widow, took pity on Diana and gave her Chateau Chaumont as somewhat of a consolation prize I guess. And a nice literary connection here -- the next owners of Chateau Chenonceaux were Claude Dupin and his wife who later turned it over to Maurice Dupin de Francueil. Claude Dupin was the great -grandfather of authoress George Sand. Maurice Dupin de Francueil was her father. The real name of writer George Sand was Baroness Amantine (or Amandine, in some records) Lucille Aurore Dupin. Henry James also visited Chateau Azay le Rideau (built between 1515-1527), one of the oldest Renaissance era chateaus in France. The chateau and the property surrounding it was later turned into a commune.
Chinon is believed to be the birthplace town of French Renaissance humorist and monk (interesting combination) Francois Rabelais. James visits the castle where it is said Joan of Arc first spoke with Charles VII, in her bid to try to get him on the throne. Joan of Arc was one of the first historical figures I remember learning about and even now her story still moves me. To be so young and be brave against such persecution, to be so profoundly set in your convictions, the story always leaves me in awe when I think of it!
BORDEAUX & CHAMBORD
The port city of Bordeaux is primarily known for its famous wine industry and beautiful countryside. Wine production has been a major part of the area's economy since the 8th century and even now, every two years the town hosts VinExpo, a convention for wine professionals. James' tour of the area consists largely of his walk around shopping district, Porte du Caillou, which even today maintains its beautiful medieval architecture. The town of Bordeaux was the setting for parts of Honore de Balzac's Comedie Humanie. James mentions his appreciation for and interest in Balzac and his works quite a bit throughout this book. The word "caillou" is French for pebble or stone, but in some translations can also mean "bald". Makes sense now since caillou just reminds me of one of that cute cartoon sometimes shown on PBS - Caillou! Anyone else ever watch this show? I don't see it on much anymore but I always thought it was pretty adorable. The series was based on the children's books by Christine L'Heureux.
Also visited is nearby Biarritz, a coastal vacation spot for the wealthy and famous during the early 20th century. Such notables to use the area as an escape included Charlie Chaplin, Ernest Hemingway, and CoCo Chanel, who even opened one of her stores here. Even before the celebrities discovered the beauty of the area, Empress Josephine (wife of Napoleon Bonaparte) had a palace built here. The palace is now the Hotel du Palais.
James' time in Chambord was a whirlwind of chateau tours, beginning with Chateau de Chambord, a residence belonging to Francis I. His object of desire, Comtesse de Thoury, lived in the area so he had the place built as sort of a love memento, architecturally proclaiming his love for her. Chateau de Chambord continued to change royal ownership over the years but use of the residence declined after the reign of Henry IV. It was sometimes visited by Louis XIV but he preferred to stay at Fontainbleau, so over time the place was left mostly abandoned. How sad is that!
Chateau de Chambord
aerial view of Chateau de Chambord
The most interesting story attached to this chateau was one involving Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon offered Chambord to Berthier, a marshal for Napoleon. Not sure what the guy did to be rewarded such an estate but it must have been something pretty major! After Berthier's death, his widow -- the Princess of Wagram -- hmm, just realized maybe he got the estate because of his wife's title? -- his widow gave the estate / land title to the infant Duke of Bordeaux, a potential King of France. The duke later changed his title to Comte de Chambord, but the estate was taken away from him under the government of Louis Phillipe (I guess on a whim?? Couldn't figure that out). It took him 25 years and a ton of litigation to have his property and title reinstated to him.
Other chateaus visited: Chateau de Cheverny, near Russy Forest in the Sologne countryside
Chateau de Blois, also belonged to Francis I
Chateau de Langeais, Anne of Brittany and Charles VIII were married here in the Great Hall here in 1491.
wax figures in Chateau de Langeais depicting the marriage of
Anne & Charles
James also went through nearby Tours, the birthplace town of Honore de Balzac, mainly to see Chateau le Tours and the attached Tour de Guise -- a tower of Chateau le Tours where Charles de Lorraine, Duke of Guise and Prince of Joinville, was imprisoned (on the order of Henry II of Blois) after his father's assassination in 1588. He was held there for three years before escaping in 1591.
Chateau le Tours
the prominent tower on the left is the Tour de Guise
While in Tours, James stayed in the Hotel de L'Univers, near Lussat and continued his tour with a visit to St. Gatiens Cathedral, which holds the tombs of two of Anne and Charles' children who sadly died in infancy. They were originally held at the Basilica of St. Martin's in Tours, until an attack on the church in 1797 (during the French Revolution) left it almost entirely destroyed. The tombs were unharmed and moved to St. Gatiens in 1815.
Hotel de L'Univers, near Lussat
Where Henry James stayed while exploring
Chambord & Tours
town square in Tours
two children of Anne of Brittany and Charles VIII
now resting at St. Gatiens Cathedral
Chartes River
Loches,France
LOCHES, TOULOUSE & BOURG-EN-BRESSE
Loches is a brief stop on James' tour. The highlight is visiting the tomb of Agnes Sorel, longtime mistress of Charles VII. She died in 1450 at the age of 28, the general ruling being "complications during pregnancy" though the exact cause is not known for sure. Some historians speculate she might have been poisoned by a jealous rival or some other person who just wanted her "out of the way".
tomb of Agnes Sorel
While exploring some of the statues and friezework in Bourges Cathedral, James makes an odd statement:
"The portals, especially the middle one, are extremely interesting; they are covered with curious early sculptures. The middle one, however, I must describe alone. It has no less than six rows of figures -- the others have four -- some of which, notably the upper one, are still in their places. The arch at the top has three tiers of elaborate imagery. The upper of these is divided by the figure of Christ in judgement, of great size, stiff and terrible, with outstretched arms. On either side of him are ranged three or four angels, with the instruments of the Passion. Beneath him in the second frieze stands the angel of justice with the scales; and on either side of him is the vision of the last judgment. The good prepare, with infinite titillation and complacency, to ascend to the skies; while the bad are dragged, pushed, hurled, stuffed, crammed into pits and caldrons of fire. There is a charming detail in this section."
CHARMING?? The guy is talking about the pits of hell and he uses the word "charming"? That little bit just left me saying... ummm, okaaay, moving on... lol
On a lighter note, James also visited La Rochelle, a one time vacation hotspot where the gentry class would go to "take the waters", soaking to cure their ailments or just feel some cleaner air for a bit. The town now hosts an international film festival every year.
La Rochelle, France
Duchess Margret as a young girl
"Portrait of Margret of Austria" (1490) by Jean Hey
Juan Bautista Martinez del Mazo. 1666. Empress Doña Margarita de Austria in Mourning Dress.
In 1501 she married the adorably named Philibert the Handsome, Duke of Savoy. Unfortunately, he died just 2 years later. Not sure what was going on with Margaret's husbands... almost makes her look like a "black widow" wife!
Philibert The Handsome
Embracing her two-time widowhood, Margaret went on to govern the Netherlands for 22 years until her death in 1530 at the age of 51. Before her death, she had the Royal Monastery of Brou built, with a mausoleum for herself and Philbert. She only had an extra year with the second husband but maybe there was a better connection there than with John?
Monastery of Brou
aerial view
Henry James seemed to have mixed feelings about his visit to Toulouse. On one hand, he found the people of Toulouse dirty and shabby and the town having little to offer, but beyond that he explains that the people seemed extraordinarily cordial to tourists:
The shops are probably better than the Turinese, but the people are not so good. Stunted, shabby, rather vitiated {to have a blemish or stain} looking, they have none of the personal richness of the sturdy Piedmontese; and I will take this occassion to remark that in the course of a journey of several weeks in the French provinces I rarely encountered a well-dressed male... I hasten to add, lest my observation should appear to be of a sadly superficial character, that the manners and conversation these gentlemen bore (whenever I had occassion to appreciate them) no relation to the state of their chin and boots. They were almost always marked by an extreme amenity. At Toulouse there was the strongest temptation to speak to people simply for the entertainment of hearing them reply with that curious, that fascinating accent of the Languedoc, which appears to be abound in finial consonants...
He also notes:
The oddity is that the place should be both animated and dull. A big, brown-skinned population, clattering about in a flat, tortuous town, which produces nothing whatever that I can discover. Except for the church of Saint-Sernin and the fine old court of the Hotel d'Assezat, Toulouse has no architecture; the houses are for the most part are brick, of a greyish-red color, and have no particular style.But the people are nice! There's that, right?! LOL
James visits the Pont du Gard aqueduct in Toulouse, recording his impressions of the Roman architecture:
Over the valley, from side to side and ever so high in the air, stretch the three tiers of the tremendous bridge. They are unspeakably imposing, and nothing could be more Roman. The hugeness, the solidity, the unexpectedness, the monumental rectitude of the whole thing leave you nothing to say -- at the time -- and make you stand gazing. You simply feel that it is noble and perfect, that it has the quality of greatness. A road, branching from the highway, descends to the level of the river and passes under one of the arches. This road has a wide margin of grass and loose stones, which slopes upward into the bank of the ravine. You may sit here as long as you please, staring up at the light, strong piers; the spot is sufficiently "wild", though two or three stone benches have been erected on it. I remained there an hour and got a complete impression; the place was perfectly soundless and for the time at least, lonely; the splendid afternoon had begun to fade and there was a fascination in the object I had come to see. It came to pass that at the same time I discovered in it a certain stupidity, a vague brutality. That element is rarely absent from great Roman work, which is wanting in the nice adaptation of the means to the end. The means are always exaggerated, the end is so much more than attained. The Roman vigour was apt to overshoot the mark, and I suppose a race which could do nothing small is as defective as a race that can do nothing great. Of this Roman rigour the Pont du Gard is an admirable example. It would be a great injustice, however, not to insist upon its beauty -- a kind of manly beauty, that of an object constructed no to please but to serve, and impressive simply from the scale on which it carries out this intention.
Pont du Gard aqueduct in Toulouse
James goes on to explore Tour Phillipe le Bel in the town of Villeneuve-les-Avignons. Viewing the castle, James lets his European wit fly for a minute before turning poetic:
...Every dark hole in Villeneuve is called a dungeon; and I believe it is well established that in this manner, in almost all old castles and towers, the sensibilities of the modern tourist are unscrupulously played upon. There were plenty of black holes in the Middle Ages that were not dungeons, but household receptacles of various kinds; and many a tear dropped in pity for the groaning of the larder and the faggot-nook {fireplace}. For all of this, there are some very bad corners in the towers of Villeneuve, so that I was not wide of the mark when I began to think again, as I had often thought before, of the stoutness of the human composition in the Middle Ages and the tranquility of nerve of people to whom the groaning captive and the blackness of a "living tomb" were familiar ideas which did not at all interfere with their happiness or their sanity. Our modern nerves, our irritable sympathies, our easy discomforts and fears, make one think (in some relations) less respectfully of human nature.
the town of Villeneuve-les-Avignons
So that's it on this one folks. James covered a number of other towns but these were the places that jumped out at me while I was reading. Hope this helps as a visual guide if you decide to delve into this book.
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