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The Royal Chateau at Chambord, Loir-et-Cher in the Loire Valley, is well worth a visit. Steeped in history it's one of the most recognizable chateaux in the world because of its very distinct French Renaissance architecture that a blend of traditional medieval and classical Italian.
On the 1st of June each year the
spectacular Journees Nationales de la Chasse et de la Peche or Game fair is held.
There are restaurants & gift shops both inside the castle and in the grounds.
It is also the largest castle in the Loire Valley, but was built to serve only as
a hunting lodge for King Francois I who maintained his royal residences at Chateau
de Blois and at Chateau d'Amboise. The original design of the Chateau de Chambord
was by Domenico da Cortona, but was altered considerably during the twenty years
of its construction. Leonardo da Vinci, a guest of King Francois at Clos Luce near
Amboise, is believed to have been involved in the original design. Nearing completion,
King Francois showed off his enormous symbol of wealth and power by hosting his
old enemy, Emperor Charles V.
The massive castle features 6 immense towers, 440 rooms, and an amazing 365 fireplaces,
and 84 staircases. Four rectangular vaulted hallways on each floor form a cross-shape,
meeting in the center. One of the architectural highlights, and very popular with
the general public, is the spectacular double-helix open staircase where people
can ascend and descend at the same time without ever meeting - ideal when you're
not speaking!
The castle is surrounded by a 52.5‑km wooded park and game reserve filled with Red
Deer enclosed by a 31‑kilometre wall.
For more than eighty years after the death of King Francois, French kings all but
abandoned the castle, allowing it to fall into decay. Finally, in 1639 King Louis
XIII gave it to his brother Gaston d'Orleans who saved the castle from ruin by carrying
out much restoration work. King Louis XIV had the great donjon restored and furnished
the royal apartments. The king then added a 300 horse stable enabling him to use
the castle as a hunting lodge and a place to entertain such notables as Moliere
for a few weeks each year. Nonetheless, Louis XIV abandoned the castle in 1685.
From 1725 to 1733, Stanislas I, the deposed king of Poland and father-in-law of
King Louis XV lived at Chambord. In 1745, as a reward for his fighting valor the
king gave the castle to Maurice de Saxe, Marshal of France who installed his military
regiment there. Maurice de Saxe died in 1750 and once again the colossal castle
sat empty for many years.
In 1792, the Revolutionary government ordered the sale of the furnishings and the
empty castle was left abandoned until Napoleon Bonaparte gave the castle to French
military leader Louis Alexander Berthier whose widow sold it to the Duke of Bordeaux,
who then took the title Comte de Chambord. A brief attempt at restoration and occupation
was made by King Charles X (1824-1830) but little was done and during the Franco-Prussian
War, (1870-1871) the castle was used as a field hospital.
The final attempt to make use of the colossus came from the Comte de Chambord and
his offspring but after the Comte died in 1883, the castle was left to the Ducal
family of Parma, Italy. Any attempts at restoration ended with the onset of World
War I in 1914. The castle became the property of the Government of France in 1930
but restoration work was not begun until a few years after World War II ended in
1945.
Today, it is a major tourist attraction.
Opening Times
April 1st to September 30th: 9
am - 6:15 pm
October 1st to March 31st: 9 am - 5:15 pm
Closed: May 1st, December 25, January 1st.
Getting There:
From Paris (north) : motorway A 10 towards Blois, exit no 16 towards Mer, then secondary
road D 112 to Chambord.
From Tours (south) : motorway A 10, exit no 17 towards Blois, then secondary road
D 33 to Chambord
For more information:
Domaine national de Chambord
Vieux chemin de la chaussee
41250 Chambord
France
Tel.: +00 33 (0) 2 54 50 40 00
Fax: +00 33 (0) 2 54 20 34 69
http://www.chambord.org
Known as the garden of France the Loire valley is packed with historical towns and crammed with some of the most beautiful châteaux France has to offer. We take a look at five of...