Chinon is on the River Vienne in the Loire Valley about twelve kilometers from where the Vienne flows into the Loire. The castle was one of the strongest in France Even today the ancient towers and walls high on a ridge above the town are spectacular and seem to promise security and solidity. But it’s an illusion quickly shattered. Inside, all is in ruins.
It was once the home of the English King Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine.
In the time of Joan of Arc, Charles VII had set up his court here, and no doubt the strong fortress gave him a sense of security. The walls rise out of the cliffs on every side of the chateau with a sheer drop to the town below. The chateau was actually three castles in one, a city within a city.
I arrived in Chinon by train from Paris and took a short walk to
