2019 sees a major celebration of the French Renaissance heritage in the Loire Valley and the Centre-Val de Loire region. Janine Marsh looks at what sparked the French Renaissance and how the key date of 1519 marks the 500th anniversary with a rich programme of events and celebration...
What is the French Renaissance?
The finale of the 15th century saw the end of the Hundred Years’ War between France and England. It was a period during which Joan of Arc had travelled to the heart of the Loire Valley to persuade the Dauphin to give her an army and persuade him to take his place as King of France and become Charles VII. With constant attacks by the English on French soil, the homes of the royals and nobility were more like fortresses, designed to fend off invaders and keep people, animals and belongings safe.
In 1494, Charles VII waged war in Italy and though unsuccessful, he gained a love of Renaissance art and culture and returned to France taking with him Italian craftsmen and artisans. Thus began the French love affair with all things Renaissance. It was a time of economic and social change, when the arts, literature and culture flourished. And we can see the legacy of the French Renaissance to this day, forever recorded in the architecture of many chateaux and towns in the Loire Valley where the French Renaissance began...
Chateau de Chambord © D-Darrault CRTCentreVdL