|
|
The Château de Chambord in one of the loveliest Renaissance buildings in the Loire Valley. The Chambord estate and village lays in the department of Loire-et-Cher in central France.
The building of the château begun in 1519, on the orders of by Francis I, and was completed in 1547. The Florentine artist Leonardo da Vinci paid a short visit to the building during its construction and added a few embellishments to it. The château contains 440 rooms, 365 fireplaces, 13 great staircases, and stables to accommodate 1200 horses. The whole complex stands in a park surrounded by a 22 miles wall.
The archives offer us no information as the name of the architect but there is influence of Leonardo de Vinci and close tie to some of the projects by Domenico da Cartona , and Italian architect. The spiral staircase derives from a medieval concept. It goes far beyond it in its unique division into two separate flights with numerous openings on the arms of the corridors. A tribute to the former medieval French tradition is to be found in the presence of powerful cylindrical towers at the corners of the keep. The top of the stairs leads to the large terraces of the castle.
After the death of Francis I in 1574 the castle was practically unused for about fifty years. The Château first passed on to Henry II, and then to: Francis II, Charles IX, Henry III, Henry IV and Louis XIII who left the chateau in dereliction. The king, Louis XIII, had no us of the castle so he gave it to duke Gaston d'Orleans which saved it from total destruction by carrying out much restoration. And then again it was bought in for the royal family, and more precisely, Louis XIV, who liked to visit the chateau to hunt and enjoy pastoral Court life. Louis XV gave it to his father-in-law, Stanislas Leszczynski, King of Poland, who had been stripped of his throne. He live there from 1725 to 1733. After Stanislas Leszczynski death Louis XV gave it to Marshal Maurice de Saxe, who lived there from 1745 to 1750 (Louis XV gave him Chambord to reward his for his courage in the Battle of Fontenoy. Emperor Napoleon gave Marshal Berthier, the future prince of Wagram, the estate in the early 1900th century. And king Charles X bought it after his abdication in 1830. Prince Elie de Bourbon-Parme inherited it in 1910, and since his descendants were of Austrian nationality, the chateau was sequestered during World War I. The last private owner was Henry de Bourbon, Count of Paris who sold the entire estate to the French government in 1932 for 11 million franc.
Chambord was never a place for living. Upkeep, and especially heating, was so difficult that the Kings of France and its different owners only came in the summer, to hunt or for large receptions. The pillages of the Revolution and the long periods during which the chateau was abandoned help explain why there is little furniture in it today. After having passed through other hands, the chateau risked being demolished after the Revolution and in 1793 the furnishings were dispersed. In 1947 the State began restorations which were continued for 30 years.
Inside the chateau, the size of its rooms and halls is impressive. Its fittings and decoration attest to the majesty and royalty of this marvellous palace. The wood floors, wainscoting and coffered ceilings are remarkable for their unequalled architectural and pictorial qualities. The only parts of the chateau that are furnished are the chambers of Francis I and Louis XIV, along with one marvellous room containing toys played with by noble child of this time.
 |
  |
 |
