Diane de Poitiers
After the Bohiers’ time of ownership came to a close, the château passed into royal hands, King Francis I being particularly fond of the place as a hunting rendezvous. After succeeding his father to the throne, Henry II gifted Chenonceau to his favorite mistress, Diane de Poitiers. The first project the lady focused her efforts on was designing the castle grounds, transforming plots of land into fetching gardens with fashionable flair. Eyeing the loveliness of the land on the opposite bank of the river Cher, Diane determined to build a bridge as part of the château in order to expand the cultural appeal of her lovely home.
