Second part of the discovery of Château de Chenonceau cross stitch pattern chart. To read first part is here.
THE SYMBOLS OF THE EMBROIDERY
Here is a representation of the decor of Louise de Lorraine’s bedroom. After the tragic death of her husband, Henri III of France, she had her room decorated with symbols of her bereavement: silver tears, widow’s tassels, gravedigger’s spades and here, a thorn crown with lambda and H intertwined and topped with a crown, the initials of Louise de Lorraine and Henri III.
The decor on the large fireplace in the Louis XIV salon, also known as the Red Salon, consists of a salamander and ermine, the symbolic animals of François I and Claude of France. The sovereigns were once proprietors of the castle.
On the fireplace in the grand gallery are the intertwined initials of King Henri II and his wife, Catherine de Médicis. Cruelly ironic, these letters also form a D for Diane of Poitiers, the King’s mistress.
The box beam ceiling in the bedroom of Catherine de Médicis is decorated with the Médicis blazon and the fleur-de-lis, granted to Piero de Médicis by Louis XI in 1465 for services to the Crown.
THE FABRICS AND MURAL TAPESTRIES IN THE CHATEAU
Much of the warmth of the Château comes from the many rooms with wall coverings.
From de right to the left, an interpretation of the Green Study, where Catherine de Médici (1519-1589) ruled the kingdom, overlooking the Cher River, after the death of her husband, King Henri II. Then, an interpretation of Francois I’s room, situated on the ground floor. It is a reminder of the French king, who was a frequent guest of Katherine Briçonnet
and her husband, both at the origin of the construction of the Château. After, the interpretation of the fabric decorating
the four-poster bed in the Five Queens’ Bedroom. This room is named in memory of the two daughters
and three daughters-in-law of Catherine de Médicis: Queen Margot, Elisabeth of France, Marie Stuart, Elizabeth of Austria and Louise of Lorraine. And finally, the fabric draped on the four-poster bed in Diane de Poitiers’ bedroom,
also known as “la favorite”, or the King’s mistress.
THE BORDERS
The borders evoke the Renaissance style of Chenonceau
and the motifs that were used in the decorative arts of this era. Notice the H decorated
with a fleur-de-lis on the bottom frieze for Henri II. The fleurs-de-lis in the corners
are attributed to the Kings of France, although their exact origin is unknown.
Visit the Château de Chenonceau website where you can make a panoramic visit.
