Built in 1548 for Diane de Poitiers, a favourite of King Henry II, the Château d'Anet is a true jewel of the French Renaissance. Situated in the Eure-et-Loir region, only 75 kilometres from Paris, this castle, which is always private, can be visited from the beginning of February to the end of November and gives a better understanding of the life and daily routine of the woman who was nicknamed "the almost Queen" in her day. »
Born around 1500 in the Dauphiné, Diane de Poitiers is the daughter of a Provençal nobleman close to royal power. At the age of 15, she married a certain Louis de Brézé. Grand seneschal of Normandy and grandson of Charles VII and his mistress Agnès Sorel, he is 40 years her senior.
Having been made lady-in-waiting by Queen Claude and then by Louise of Savoy, mother of Francis I, Diane became closer to the royal children, especially the younger Henri, who became her lover when he was still a very young teenager.
Having become King in 1547 under the name of Henri II, he showered his mistress with gifts and had her named Duchess of Valentinois. All his life, King Henry remained deeply in love with this woman he had known from a very young age. To the end, she was his faithful confidant and his great friend at heart.
Famous for her beauty, Diane de Poitiers is blonde and wears her forehead high. To preserve her qualities, she imposes a very strict lifestyle. Every day, after a bath in ice-cold water, she goes horse riding for almost 3 hours and takes only two light meals. Above all, in order to keep the extraordinary whiteness of her skin, she is known to have consumed liquid gold.
On the site of a first building dating from the 12th century, Henri II entrusted his architect Philibert de l'Orme with the task of building a sumptuous castle for his mistress in 1548. An enlightened humanist, he was one of the greatest artists of the French Renaissance; he distinguished himself in particular by building the castle of Chenonceau and making essential modifications to those of Vincennes and Fontainebleau.
In Anet, five years are enough to complete the works in which Benvenuto Cellini, Germain Pilon and Jean Cousin also participate. Diane de Poitiers died in the castle after the King's death in 1559, Diane de Poitiers died there on 25 April 1566. Wishing to rest there, her daughter had a funeral chapel built for her.
After her, Anet became the property of the family of the Dukes of Vendôme, the Duchess of Maine and finally the Duke of Penthièvre, grandson of Louis XIV and Madame de Montespan. Since 1840, five generations of the same family have succeeded one another at the head of the castle, always undertaking important restoration campaigns.
To prepare your visit.
Bérengère for Comme des Français.
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