Loire Gems: Chateau de Chambord

Who doubts that the French had a exquisite records and subculture of structure? Who doubts that the arena nowadays enjoys the exquisite historical past left in the back of via way of means of the French? Who doubts that the Italian had a exquisite records and subculture of structure? Who doubts that the arena nowadays enjoys the exquisite historical past left in the back of via way of means of the Italians?

Chateau de Chambord

What if the best of the French and the best of the Italian are mixed together? In music, you've got got the genius of François Couperin, who composed each the Apotheosis of Lully and of Corelli. In structure, Château de Chambord is the manifestation of French paperwork and Italian systems mixed together.

Château de Chambord

Quick Facts Admission: Adult €9.50 / Free for each person beneathneath 26 from EU / Group (20 or greater) €8.00 Hours: Jan-Mar 10am – 5pm / Apr-Sep 9am – 6pm / Oct-Dec 10am – five pm Audio guide: €4 Parking fee: Car & Motor €three in line with day / Camper €6 in line with day (€20 in line with night) / Coach €forty five in line with day Construction begun: 6 September 1519 Construction completed: Never Architect: Unknown (Possibly Domenico da Cortona, Philippe Delorme or Leonardo Da Vinci) Style: Renaissance Notable beyond residents: François I, Louis XIV, Stanislas Leszczyński, Maurice de Saxe Pop influence: An thought for the Beast’s fort of the Disney film Beauty and the Beast. Château de Chambord Getting There Car The excellent manner to move right here is via way of means of vehicle. If you need to begin renting a vehicle from a close-by city, hire a vehicle in Blois. It’s approximately 25 mins from Blois to Chambord and 2.five hours from Paris to Chambord. Train There isn't anyt any direct educate to Chambord. Take the educate to Blois and take a travel bus (most effective from April to August) or a vehicle from there. The educate trip is set 2 hours. Shuttle There is a travel carrier in Blois (€8). The bus departs from the Blois railway station. Only from April to August.

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The Architect

Double-Helix Staircase, Château de Chambord One of the thrilling factors approximately Château de Chambord is how no historian nowadays can agree on who the architect is, or as a minimum, one key fashion dressmaker accountable for this impressive structure. Some have advised the Italian architect Domenico da Cortona, who become accountable for the layout of Église Saint-Eustache nevertheless status nowadays in Paris. This is mainly due to the fact his wood version of Château de Chambord survived into the 17th century. Others advised Philippe Delorme, a French architect, had a massive role. Then some greater concept that it should’ve been Leonardo da Vinci, who become then withinside the royal courtroom docket of Amboise. Then again, the preliminary layout went via foremost modifications for the duration of the construction, who become supervised via way of means of Pierre Nepveu.

What do I make out of all this?

For certain, lots of those geniuses’ names got here up due to the highly particular and elegant layout of the château. Having studied a chunk of movie, I felt that this become like how a movie got here to be. It become the manifestation of an ensemble, now no longer one unmarried individual. The screenwriter would possibly have provide you with a splendid preliminary tale, however the director expected it to life, and the actors should’ve had improvised alongside the manner, and the tale constantly revised. I am uncertain that setting simply one character withinside the highlight necessary, however I’m now no longer in opposition to it. The Architecture First, allow me display you ways splendid the structure is from the ground plan. Château de Chambord Floor Plan The ground plan is square. The towers are constructed at the 4 corners. Imagine that this ground plan is split into 6 equal-sized rectangular grids. Château de Chambord Floor Plan (Grid) There is a horizontal intersection withinside the center, creating a department of three pinnacle grids and three backside grids. The hold or donjon in French (ought to be beginning of the English phrase dungeon) occupies the pinnacle center grid. Each of the nook inside that pinnacle center grid is constructed a tower, similar to the larger square ground plan. In the center of that hold is in which the famend double-helix staircase lies. If you notice, the corridors make a really perfect plus signal or a move withinside the hold. Then, every nook has a huge room and smaller rooms. Notice that the smaller rooms are placed differently. If you may envision it, it without a doubt looks as if a windmill. If the rooms are mobile, then they'll be rotating in a really perfect cycle. This is a manifestation of a splendid stability withinside the palace’s symmetrical form. The Double-Helix Staircase As if the outdoors of Château of Chambord isn’t quite enough, or the masterplan splendid enough, the double-helix staircase is so subtle in concept. I actually have in no way visible this sort of staircase replicated elsewhere. Leonardo da Vinci experimented a number of with the double-helix form, and this is one of the motives why he appears to be credited for the layout of ths château, or as a minimum the double-helix staircase. The staircase become designed in this kind of manner that there could be spiraling stairs with a view to in no way meet every different. The concept become in order that nobles should quite simply stroll in one of the stairs and in no way having to satisfy the servants. In the Middle of the Double-Helix Staircase History Château de Chambord become commissioned via way of means of the French king François I. This is why in case you pay a visit, you may see lots of his trademarks the letter F with the fierce salamander. François I become well-known for constructing up the French culture, much like how king Louis XIV become regularly portrayed. François I become enthusiastic about one predominant rival in his life, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, who become in his manner to turning into the Holy Roman Emperor, and whose electricity obviously threatened France, controlling Spain, Austria and plenty of different neighboring regions. Château de Chambord become constructed to mesmerize Charles V, displaying off the extravagance of France.

Even though François I was the one who first commissioned for this château to be built, he definitely wasn’t the longest resident. He stayed for a mere 47 days in his whole life in this château. However, the domaine de Chambord was nothing like today. Being in the northern region of France, it was often cold. Borrowing the Italian architectural style wasn’t very practical to suit the region’s weather. Villages around Chambord were sparse, so it wasn’t surprising that the château was often used by François I as a hunting lodge. His royal entourage could number up to 2000 members. They had to hunt for game to eat. That is also part of the reason why most of the rooms were lightly furnished, relying more on portable furnitures. François I Emblem

Read also to England in bovey trace Tours There are many tours for the Loire Valley! It is, after all, one of the most visited destinations in France.

Winter Tour

During winter, let me recommend this tour that includes hotel pick-up and drop-off, visiting not only Château de Chambord, but also the beautiful Château de Cheverny and the elegant Château de Chenonceau.

Summer Tour

There’s another tour during summer, but with a different itinerary. You will get to visit Château de Chambord, Le Clos de Lucé (where Leonaro da Vinci lived) where you can look at Leonardo’s marvelous inventions in the garden, and finally the Château de Chenonceau, built on the Cher River. This tour also includes wine tasting in the Loire region! There are so many tours that it’s difficult for me to list all of them. Call the office de tourisme in Paris, or in Chambord, or in other nearby cities, such as Blois, Amboise and Tours. Chambord is definitely one of the places to visit in Europe, not only France! One of the best experiences in France is traveling through the Loire Valley.