A grey, rainy day view upriver from the terrace of the Chateau Royal d'Amboise, Amboise, France.
A bell over the castle's wide entry ramp, originally designed to accommodate horses and carriages.
Amboise city rooftops as seen from the castle's walls.
A broad view from the castle ramparts shows the Amboise bridge over the River Loire.
The marble bust of artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci was erected in 1869 on the spot of the 12th-century Florentine church where da Vinci was originally laid to rest. In the 19th-century, his remains were transferred to St. Hubert Chapel on the chateau grounds.
This manicured Oriental garden lines the medieval southeast rampart. It is a tribute to the Emir of Algeria, Abd el-Khader, who surrendered during France's colonisation of Algeria. From 1848 until 1852 - when he was liberated by Napoleon Bonaparte - the emir, along with about 80 family members and attendants was under house arrest at the Chateau d'Amboise. He died in 1883 in Damascus.
Details of brickwork from the Sentries' Walk, from whence guards could survey the Loire. The architectural variations show the transition from the French late-Gothic style of Charles VIII to the Italianate Renaissance style preferred by Louis XII-Francois I.
A royal crest and carved cherubs over one of the castle's main doorways.
A decorative chest in the castle's entryway. My husband said signs were posted forbidding photos, but I didn't see them!
A Renaissance table and hand-carved throne.
The St. Hubert Chapel was built in Gothic style by Charles VIII, on foundations of an oratory built by Louis XI. Initially reserved for the royal family's use, the chapel contains a crypt for the body of Leonardo da Vinci, Francois I's good friend. It is believed that da Vinci's remains were removed from the crypt and returned to his native Italy.
The chapel has its doors flung open for visitors.
The ornate facade of St. Hubert's Chapel.
A close-up look at the carved scene over the chapel entrance.
Details of the chapel's heavy wooden Gothic doors.
The stained glass windows were produced by Max Ingrand in 1952. They illustrate the life of the 13th-century crusader and king Louis XI.
The altar in St. Hubert Chapel.
The town of Amboise, as viewed from the walkway next to the chapel.
Dear Paris - thank you so much for your kind comments & voting for my post in the comp:-).
I used to live in Belgium and that picture of the cars on the bridge crossing the river takes me back there immediately. I can feel the tradition and weather calling out from that picture right to me.
Your photos speak.
Posted by: All Things Bright and Beautiful..... | 09 December 2007 at 15:05
Gorgeous photos! They make Amboise look good even on a rainy day. I love the way the reds and oranges stand out against the gray. Lucky you didn't run into the guard that asked Laura and I if we had asked permission to sketch in the castle! (we ignored her and she went away) May I link to you from my blog?
Posted by: Casey | 28 November 2007 at 12:46
Such intricate carvings, sculpture, architecture - just amazing! Thank you for sharing some of the wonderful sights with us, Tara. ~xo
Posted by: tinker | 28 November 2007 at 00:44
Wonderful photos! AMAZING architecture! It's always a pleasure to visit your place. Thanks for sharing. I'm sure glad you didn't see those "no photo" signs! ;)
Posted by: artzyjudie | 27 November 2007 at 13:15
What a feast for the eyes. Thanks so much I love casles and this one is magnificent. The once i have seen were along the rheine in germany and some in holland. Intriguing buildings.
Posted by: marja | 27 November 2007 at 05:56
Wow!!!!!!!!!! I am speechless!!! Ambroise is definitely on my list for a visit! So pretty!! And it rhymes with one of my favorite eau-de-vie's from France....
Posted by: My Melange | 27 November 2007 at 05:02
Thank you for showing me a part of the world I would have otherwise never seen! It is beautiful!
Barbara
Posted by: Barbara @ Southern Lady's Vintage | 27 November 2007 at 01:23
Thank you for a nostalgic tour...
very enjoyable. xoxo
Posted by: Colette | 27 November 2007 at 00:11
what a wonderful experience you've given us.... i've had a thing for davinci since i was a young girl, so it's wonderful to see these places in such gorgeous photography. thank you!
Posted by: studio wellspring | 26 November 2007 at 21:38
Wow I am so pleased you didn't see the sign.
Posted by: Di Overton | 26 November 2007 at 17:20
These are fabulous! Your attention to and photographs of the details incredible! Wow!
Posted by: gemma | 26 November 2007 at 13:31
You do indeed live amongst such Beauty!
Sandra Evertson
Posted by: Sandra Evertson | 26 November 2007 at 05:46
Oh what wonderful photos. I feel like I am there too.
Thankyou!
Posted by: melinda | 26 November 2007 at 04:55
Wonderful pics of Amboise ... hope you had a fabulous Thanksgiving weekend. Sending you love, xx, JP/deb
Posted by: JanePoe (aka Deborah) | 26 November 2007 at 04:27
beautiful photos Tara. I have been thoroughly enjoying your travels vicariously. I've never been to this part of France and now would LOVE to. I shared your pics with my daughter Martha........she then went to get her own camera to show me the photos she took when she was in Quebec City....we compared some of the cathedral shots of this post and of York and were quite amazed at the sameness of the cathedral in Quebec.....now I'm wondering if the cathedral there is a replica of a particular cathedral in Europe.....which is often the case.
Lovely..............
Posted by: awareness | 26 November 2007 at 01:35
What incredible photos! They make me want to hop on a plane. I am in awe of the artisans who produced these incredible buildings and their interiors. We see the finished creations - when you know it must have taken many, many years to complete all of this.
Posted by: Dorian Fletcher | 25 November 2007 at 20:23
What amazing, amazing photos!! I've added a couple of them to my iphoto library, just so I can remind myself and David why I love Amboise so much. Even on a rainy, cold day, the beauty is evident. Btw, I never saw any signs saying you couldn't photograph things, but then, I wouldn't, would I ;D?
When Casey and I were sketching there last week, most of the guards were very friendly, even heaping more logs on the fire and turning on lights for us. One guard, however, was exceedingly officious and tried to get us to produce permits to draw. Hmmmph. Not going to, and didn't, happen.
Posted by: Laura | 25 November 2007 at 19:39
Thank you Tara for taking me on such nice travels!
That Gothic St Hubert Chapel is something else! Wow!
Posted by: rochambeau | 25 November 2007 at 18:42
I feel I have visited through you wonderful eye. The detail here is simply mind boggleing!
x....x
Posted by: stephanie | 25 November 2007 at 18:35
what a beauifully kept town...now for angels over my doorway...yes...blessings, rebecca
Posted by: Cre8Tiva | 25 November 2007 at 17:50
I visited Amboise the summer after I arrived in Belgium. It's been a delight to re-visit it here and see it in another season.
Posted by: V-Grrrl | 25 November 2007 at 17:24
Wow, what photos! Thanks for sharing them. re: no photos signs...I've often snapped pix in galleries and a friend will say, "Can you TAKE pictures in here?" ... to which I reply, "Well, I don't see any signs saying that I can't!" :)
Posted by: Marilyn | 25 November 2007 at 17:08
The town of Amboise is so picturesque..I would love to see it first hand. You find the best places to visit Tara, and you manage the most incredible visual journeys. Excuse me, but why does David "read"?? Does he not understand that those signs do not apply to you?? You have a mission to educate the rest of us. Ah..husbands!! Rules!!! LOL!!
Posted by: cherie | 25 November 2007 at 16:55
The town of Amboise is so picturesque..I would love to see it first hand. You find the best places to visit Tara, and you manage the most incredible visual journeys. Excuse me, but why does David "read"?? Does he not understand that those signs do not apply to you?? You have a mission to educate the rest of us. Ah..husbands!! Rules!!! LOL!!
Posted by: cherie | 25 November 2007 at 16:54
Thank you Tara for the beautiful pictures! I love Amboise!
Becky
Posted by: Becky Ramsey | 25 November 2007 at 16:35