the chateau series: cheverny
To any Tintin fans – this chateau may look a little familiar?? Think about Captain Haddock’s country home, Marlingspike Hall… It is said that Herge (author of Tintin) based the house on this chateau.
Chateau Cheverny
This estate has been in the same family for 6 centuries and to this day, is still lived in by the descendants of the Hurault family. They live in a sealed off wing of the chateau while the parts that we can visit are much like the others we have seen.
In this post, we share a little bit of what we found interesting.
The Dining Room is adorned with a silver-plated solid bronze chandelier weighing over 100 kg. It hangs above the table that can extend to seat 30 guests. Don’t want to be sitting under the light should it come down, right?
The arms room is the largest room in the chateau. There are plenty of pieces on display showcasing artwork, furniture, armour and weapons from as far back as the 15th Century. The travelling trunks, shown in these pictures, for example are from the 17th Century.
Let’s not forget the King’s Bedchamber which has an extravagantly decorated canopy and tapestries. These are there to keep the heat in.
The beds were unusually short as during this period, people slept sitting up. Lying down was for the dead.
The grand salon houses the 18th Century harp that is still in perfect working condition. Can you just imagine the sounds this instrument would’ve produced?
The gardens went virtually unexplored by us because we spent a lot of time visiting the kennels. Cheverny is an important hunting venue.
The kennels house approximately a hundred French Hounds which are fed every day around 3pm. This was rather entertaining to watch.
We stand outside high metal fences, peering in to watch the “event”. The keeper lay out the meat as the dogs clamber over one another and growl and bark in the overhead terrace.
Once the side gate is open, the dogs tear down the stairs (left of image) and wait for the keeper’s command to feast. Then it is just frantic.
Those dogs are fierce, we certainly wouldn’t want them chasing us through the estate.
wise monkeys abroad 
June 15, 2015 at 7:43 pm
Great photos. I really like reading your chateau series as I like history and times past…!
June 15, 2015 at 7:51 pm
So glad to hear that you are enjoying these posts 🙂 We still have another 4 to go… Preparing one to be published soon!! Hope you enjoy the rest of the series!
June 11, 2015 at 6:19 am
Yes, this one I’ve seen in photos before. How grand it all is! I always think how uncomfortable those people must have been, firstly wearing that armour and then not even being able to lie down at night. Give me the 21st century any day!
June 12, 2015 at 7:53 pm
Soo very true 🙂 We are pretty happy with the 21st Century as well!
June 10, 2015 at 9:29 am
It must be uncomfortable to sleep sitting up!
June 10, 2015 at 1:22 pm
Yes… we imagine that it would be 🙂 Glad that sleeping flat is considered normal now!
June 10, 2015 at 3:18 am
Wonder what it would be like to actually live in a place this luxurious? I would love to hear that harp played. Thanks for the tour.
June 10, 2015 at 1:26 pm
We can only ever imagine what it’s like to live like this – Maybe the harp plays by itself at night?? 😉
Glad you enjoyed the tour – thank you! Another 4 chateaux in the series to go!! Stay tuned….
June 10, 2015 at 2:23 am
Wow that bed canopy is wild.
June 10, 2015 at 1:25 pm
Would you like one over your bed? 😉
June 10, 2015 at 2:13 pm
Haha hmm.. that’s a good question, maybe not! Although, maybe it could be a nice little reading sanctuary 🙂
June 10, 2015 at 8:00 pm
It’s funny how when we see things like this though, we automatically associate it with a musty smell LOL!
But yes, a reading sanctuary sounds like a possibility – better than in the bedroom 😉
June 10, 2015 at 1:03 am
Sleeping in a sitting position? Those people were certainly strange back in the day 🙂
Too bad you had no time to discover the gardnes, they are often a highlight at such places
June 10, 2015 at 1:25 pm
Hahaha! Yes, they were strange but maybe people 300 years from now will say the same thing about us 😉
June 9, 2015 at 11:22 pm
Wow, I love the inside! I imagine I would have spent a lot of time inside scrutinising all the items, especially that bed! Did they really sleep sitting up? Wow, that’s really fascinating to know! Haha…:)
June 10, 2015 at 1:24 pm
Apparently so… lying down was reserved for the dead! Yikes! Wouldn’t want someone thinking you were dead because you lay down with your eyes closed, right?
Yes, the inside of all these places are just intriguing!
June 9, 2015 at 10:01 pm
The chandelier crashing down on the table as you dine there… My, my, what morbid thoughts, Monkeys. But I have faith it won’t – still steady up there for so many years and I’m sure it’s not meant to come down without the help of brute force 😉
That bed looks like it’s meant for short legs 😀 Hope you’re keeping warm in Sydney. It’s freezing in Melbourne. Down to single digits at night. Pity.
June 10, 2015 at 1:23 pm
LOL… Just the sheer thought of the chandelier above the dining table, that is all 😉
Yes, well… when you are sitting up in bed, length to the bed isn’t really necessary, right??
It is FREEZING here in Sydney today! Urgh!
June 9, 2015 at 9:46 pm
Great shots =)
June 10, 2015 at 1:22 pm
Thank you 🙂