Re-creations of the royal chambers
1. The bedroom of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II Plantagenet
Access the reconstitution of the bedroom of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II Plantagenet and discover the richness of the furniture and the reconstituted painted decoration which transport you into the daily life of a queen of the 12th century.
In the 12th century, the bedroom of King Henry II Plantagenet and his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine was located in the palace of Fort Saint-Georges now destroyed. This palace contained a set of rooms with private functions such as bedrooms (Camera), and a large hall for public hearings (Aula).
A work of historical re-creation produced by craftsmen
The furniture of the room was made by a Le Mans cabinetmaker on the basis of a scientific study. It includes a bed and its rich linen and silk fabric, two seats, two chests and a trestle table according to the customs of the time. Opposite the bed, a painted decoration on a partition made in the manner of the 12th century by restorers from Tours reinforces the immersion. It represents a motif of decorative masonry (false stones) decorated with flowers made with stencil, all embellished with friezes of foliage.
The objects placed on the table (toiletries, chess set etc.), complete the effect of a space still inhabited. Among them, the bone comb requires special attention. It is a copy of a Sicilian comb of the 12th century kept in the museum of Baltimore (USA). It is decorated on one side with a stylized heart and on the other with a small leopard. This reproduction was entrusted to a craftsman from the Jura specialised in making small objects.
The fabric of the quilt is inspired by a fragment of fabric from the 11th / 12th centuries preserved in the Le Carroi museum in Chinon: the cope known as Saint-Mexme. The motifs of this fabric are composed of cheetahs and stylized plants, faithfully redesigned and woven by a Touraine "living heritage" company.
Before the room, stop in the space dedicated to the Plantagenet dynasty: knight kings who claimed a prestigious lineage, a refined court renowned throughout Europe, an immense empire stretching from Scotland to the Pyrenees, are the ingredients of the Plantagenet saga!
Actions, models and a 3D reconstruction show the importance of the Royal Fortress of Chinon for these kings.
2. The furnished re-creation of the private room of Charles VII
Charles VII had two rooms, both with a bed: the reception room, the scene of public and political life, in which he gave audiences and received ambassadors; and the private room, connected to the private spaces, such as the heated withdrawal room and the latrines.
An exceptional testimony of royal furnishing of the 15th century.
The furnishings of the dwelling of Charles VII in Chinon, a castle in which the sovereign regularly stayed in the second quarter of the 15th century, can be appreciated thanks to the ordinary and extraordinary accounts of the King's silverware, which mention purchases of furniture and textiles. The accounts give details of the expenses for the years 1458-1459, broken down monthly by major items such as: wool, gold and silk sheets, linen, chests, trunks and chests etc.
The furnished re-creation of the private room of Charles VII is the result of the work of scientists and craftsmen, who thanks to their know-how bring this emblematic room of the royal apartments back to life.
Within this context, a bed, an armchair, a chest, a table and a bench were recreated and manufactured by a Le Mans cabinetmaker who faithfully reproduced models existing in museums or represented on miniatures of the mid-15th century. The production of the fabrics that covered the entire bed was entrusted to an upholsterer specializing in antique textiles.
A gold embroidered quilt and an exceptional hanging canopy, custom made for the king's bed, are the centrepieces of this reconstruction.
