Climate change threatens France's historic castles

FRANCE 24 English

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00:00For the past four months, workers have been trying to strengthen the walls of the Castle

00:04of Amboise. Cracks have appeared and stones have become undone. In all, 2,000 tonnes of

00:10soil had to be removed urgently after exceptionally heavy rains last autumn threatened to cause

00:16a landslide.

00:20The pressure of the water was pushing against the wall, so we're reinforcing the fortification

00:25so it doesn't move in the next years.

00:31Other castles in the region are affected by climate change. The Castle of Chambord had

00:35to close for several days due to floods, while the castles of Chenonceau and Azé-le-Rideau

00:41have been having to adapt to the heat. High temperatures cause algae to spread in the

00:48moat at Azé-le-Rideau, preventing its famed reflection in the surrounding water.

00:52I'm mainly cleaning up the algae for aesthetic reasons, but it's also necessary to do so,

01:01so as to preserve the fauna in the moat.

01:07The water level has significantly decreased over the past weeks, causing concern that the

01:12wooden piles supporting the Castle could become damaged.

01:15If the water lowers and the piles become visible, the wood could get worn and become less sturdy.

01:24From the Castle of Chantilly in the Paris region, or Yves in Marseille, castles across France

01:29and the plants that are hundreds of years old could also be impacted in the coming decades.

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