From €3,200 per person
Francois I’s reign was marked by a shared love affair with Italian art at the height of the Renaissance. His current presence in Touraine is indirect, or in the form of winks. At the Château Royal d’Amboise, where he spent his childhood, the Chapelle Saint-Hubert – reopened to the public after almost 3 years of renovation – contains the tomb of Leonardo da Vinci, whom he convinced to settle on the banks of the Loire. At the Grand Théâtre de Tours, the opulent décor is adorned with frescoes that play on historical paintings; the monarch is not missing in action! One of his advisors was also responsible for the gardens on the Château de Valmer estate.
For along the river, the exceptional architectural heritage is inseparable from a tradition of green spaces dating back to the 16th century, which Chaumont-sur-Loire perpetuates with its International Garden Festival, supported by innovative landscaping projects. And let’s not forget the winemaking tradition at Domaine Bourillon Dorléans, source of Vouvray for over a century. The Domaine de Candé is not to be outdone, with its hydraulic and electrical equipment that helped revitalize the vineyards as early as the 1930s. The Concerts d’Automne are a feast for the eyes and taste buds, as well as for the ears, for a holiday that’s a feast for all the senses.
