Azay history

The renovations make it hard to see the beautiful entrance to this chateau. It is the Italian style loggia where the ladies would stop and stand to be seen and people watch. As with others it started as a fortress in the 1300s during a civil war between the Armagnac and the Bourguinon. The castle was burned and for 2 centuries it was badly damaged but was renovated in the very early 16th century. Another embezzlement scandal led to the flight of the owner and Francis I seized it in 1537 and granted it to friends of his. It was quiet until the 19th century when a rich family bought it and refurbished it to is former glory and added extensive English gardens. It is now owned by the state. One wing is not finished so it doesn't have the same symmetry as other Renaissance castles but it is quite romantic. It also sits on a waterway and the reflection makes a beautiful view. 

From the attic you can see the beams of the oak trees that date from the first construction in the 16th century in 1522.  

The inside features typical Renaissance era tapestries used to keep the rooms warm along with a jute-type wall paneling. 

The kids have noticed the beds are much smaller. This is because a) they were smaller in stature and b) people were afraid of dying in their sleep so they slept sitting up against the pillows. 

Interesting they did not use forks until Catherine de Medicis came to France from Italy in the 1540s and brought that. 

They would travel from castle to castle and have to pack up all of the housewares, furniture and dishes every few weeks or months when they moved castles.  

Typical food for the working class would be bread, root vegetables but the forests were private so hunting was forbidden to them. Only the owner of the castle was allowed to hunt and this also had a diet heavy with game. If you were wealthy you would have a fruit orchard or import fruit from other locales.  Here are some kiddos in the kitchen. 

Some good eyes spotted Francois' salamander symbol in the castle also. And of course we had to demonstrate the size of the massive fireplaces!

From here we are heading to Bourgeuil where we are going to sample a real French outdoor market!