Chateau de Chambord

The first chateau that we visited in the Loire Valley was Chateau de Chambord. This chateau was amazing! Eric and I were so impressed by the size and the grandeur of Chambord. (As I said in the previous post on Versailles, we thought the Loire Valley chateaux were so much more interesting!) This is the largest of all the chateaux in the Loire Valley and was built by King Francois during the years of 1519–1547 as a hunting lodge.

As soon as we drove up to Chambord - we were instantly in awe. Look at it! The château features 440 rooms, 282 fireplaces, and 84 staircases. Umm can I move in?!

 

Chambord is an example of distinct French Renaissance architecture which blends traditional French medieval forms with classical Renaissance structures. Chambord's towers are atypical of French contemporary design in that they lack turrets and spires. In the opinion of author Tanaka, who suggests Leonardo da Vinci influenced the château's design, they are closer in design to minarets of 15th-century Milan.

One of the architectural highlights is the spectacular double helix open staircase that is the centerpiece of the château. The two helices ascend the three floors without ever meeting, illuminated from above by a sort of light house at the highest point of the château. There are suggestions that Leonardo da Vinci may have designed the staircase, but this has not been confirmed. It was really cool because you could be going up one staricase, see someone on the other side and never meet them on the stairs. It really was a neat feature of the chateau.

The serpent is the sign for King Francois I and it was evident throughout the castle.

The views from the roof were amazing. Just imagine all the game out there. Hunters used to stand up here and look out on the land to see where the game to hunt was. The château is surrounded by a 52.5‑km² (13,000‑acre) wooded park and game reserve maintained with red deer, enclosed by a 31‑kilometer (20‑mile) wall.

We had lunch at a little cafe down in the courtyard. I actually had to use a lot of French to order and was a bit impressed with myself. 

One last pic with the beautiful Chambord. Now we are off to Cheverny!