Château de Chambord, France
Centre-Val de Loire Region
“I want adventure in the great wide somewhere…”
View of Château de Chambord as we approached from the nearby village
Château de Chambord is rumored to have served as the inspiration for the first animated film to ever be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. Its legacy dates back to the 1500s. Set in the lush countryside of the Centre-Val de Loire region, this château is the largest in the region. In addition to royalty, the castle has hosted a slew of famous guests and boasts some design features attributed to one of the most influential artists of all time. We couldn’t wait to explore it!
First Impression
We arrived at Château de Chambord as a light morning fog still hung over the grounds, slightly obscuring the château from view but also lending it a mysterious aura. It was easy to see why it might have been the inspiration for the Beast’s castle in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Set on 5,400 hectares of rich land, royalty of the past would retreat to this beautiful country setting for a bit of quiet serenity.
We parked our car and began our walk to the château. We were delighted to find a market set up on the grounds with craftsmen selling their wares. We watched a woman weaving beautiful shawls and she took time to show us her process, spending extra time showing super inquisitive Sophie the fabric and tools. There was local honey and preserves along with beautiful art pieces for sale. It was a wonderful way to start our visit on this crisp fall morning.
Click on photo to enlarge and see descriptions.
Interesting History
Built to act as a hunting lodge, the château was commissioned by King François I (also known, in English, as King Francis I who you may remember from our Château Royal d’Amboise post last week). It was not designed as a permanent residence but as a symbol of power to show to sovereigns and ambassadors. On September 6th 1519, Francis de Pontbriand was ordered to begin construction. Slowed by the Italian War and dwindling royal funds, the walls were barely above ground level by 1524. At the time of his death of a heart attack in 1547, the king had barely spent a total of 7 weeks there for short hunting trips. Afterwards, the château was not used for almost a century and fell into disrepair.
Under the reign of Louis XIV, construction was finally completed. He had the great keep restored and furnished the royal apartments. These finishing touches made the property more comfortable as a part-time residence for royalty and guests. A 1,200 horse stable was added, enabling him to use it as a hunting lodge, and the Cosson River was canalized to sanitize the site. It became a destination for grand hunting parties and festive entertainment for over 2,000 guests at a time a few weeks each year. However, the château was not practical for long term living. The massive rooms, open windows, and high ceilings made heating difficult. With no nearby village, the only source of food was game so all other food items had to be brought in for guests.
During the 18th century, work was finally undertaken, under the orders of Louis XV, to decorate the château interior and make it habitable for long term residence. In an effort to bring warmth and comfort for its residents, permanent furnishings were brought in and the apartments were adorned with woodwork, parquet floors, dummy ceilings, and cabinets for storage. These improvements were completed in time to provide lodging for his father-in-law, Stanislas Leszczynski, king of Poland who was in exile from 1725 to 1733. In 1745, the château was gifted to Maurice de Saxe, Marshal of France, as a reward for his brilliant victory in the Battle of Fontenoy. He died in 1750 and the château was abandoned again.
In 1792, the Revolutionary government ordered the sale of the furnishings. Even the wall panelings and floors were taken off for the value of their timber. The castle was left abandoned again until Napoleon Bonaparte gave it to Louis Alexandre in 1809. The château was subsequently purchased from the family in 1821 through a nationwide fund-raising campaign for the infant Duke of Bordeaux. Political issues kept the duke from residing at the château until 1871 at which time he took the title of Comte de Chambord. He made a brief attempt at restoration and tried to make use of the castle until his death in 1883, at which time the château was left to his nephews, the princes of Bourbon-Parma.
The château was abandoned again during the First World War. Afterward, the estate of Chambord, including the château and its 5,440 hectare park, was purchased by the French State for eleven million gold francs in a sale that was completed in 1930. At this time, the attic roof that covered the lower enclosure was demolished to make the monument more closely resemble its original Renaissance design.
In 1939, shortly before the outbreak of WWII, the castle became the center for sorting the treasures of the national museums of Paris and northern France, which were evacuated due to German bombardments. Art conservatives and guards were brought to the estate to defend thousands of pieces of art, including some of the world’s most priceless pieces such as the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo.
On June 22, 1944, after narrowly escaping antiaircraft fire and German fighter planes, an American B-24 “Liberator” crashed onto the château lawn. They had successfully completed their mission of bombing an airport southwest of Paris which disrupted German war efforts. While the crew safely parachuted out, the two pilots remained onboard until just prior to the crash. Residents rushed to their aid to hide them in the nearby villages for several months before both of them were able to cross the Loire River to join approaching U.S. troops. In July 1945, a fire destroyed the roof of the southern canton. Thankfully, none of the precious artwork was damaged in either of these events. Shortly after all of the treasures were returned to the Louvre and other museums, Château de Chambord began a major 30 year renovation before being opened to the public.
Architectural Features
In 1840, Château de Chambord was registered on the first list of French historical monuments. The forest park and wall were later registered in 1997. The entire property has been on UNESCO's world heritage list since 1981.
Chambord is one of the most amazing constructions of the Renaissance. It blends medieval forms with classical renaissance structure. While it was built to house and entertain royals and dignitaries, the château was never intended to provide any form of defense from enemies. The walls and moat are mostly decorative. It features eleven different kinds of towers and three types of chimneys, without symmetry, and it is framed at the corners by the massive towers. There are a total of 426 rooms, 83 staircases, and 282 fireplaces. Visitors can tour 60 of the rooms and enjoy over 4,000 art pieces displayed throughout the refurbished château.
Perhaps its most distinctive feature is the double helix staircase that serves as the centerpiece of the château. It is believed that Leonardo da Vinci, a close personal friend of King François I, may have designed it. The two spirals ascend the three floors without ever meeting. It is illuminated from above by a sort of lighthouse at the highest point of the château, making for a truly magnificent architectural feature.
Another stunning feature within the keep is the immense vaulted ceiling containing the emblems of François I. These include the letter F and the salamander, a symbol that is repeated hundreds of times on the walls and the ceilings of Chambord. These additions show how earnestly the monarch wished to leave the mark of his legacy on the structure.
Recent History
We learned that in June 2016 the Cosson River (a tributary of the Loire) flooded its banks and the château’s moat. The 20 mile wall around the château was breached at several points and much damage was incurred. Thankfully, this damage affected only the grounds, not the castle itself. The estate is meticulously maintained which includes routine inspections to determine what work, if any, needs to be done. While we were there, restoration of the bell towers was being done to secure Chambord’s frameworks which are threatened by water leaks. Besides occasional repairs, this is the first restoration work since 1967. The work began in May 2021 and was completed by the end of 2022.
Our Favorite Things About Château de Chambord
The quirky architectural design of this château made it one of the most unique places we toured in France. We particularly loved the double helix staircase and the elaborate ceiling. The intricate designs of the towers framing the top of the château made us feel like we were inside a dollhouse.
Of the three châteaux that we visited in the region, this was the most busy. However, despite the fact that the château receives over 700,000 visitors a year, it felt as though we’d stepped back in time to simpler days as we toured its many enormous rooms. Its vast wooded setting provided a beautiful backdrop for the largest château in the Loire Valley.
We found that keeping Sophie interested in our tour was as simple as renting a HistoPad. This piece of technology featured interactive maps and a treasure hunt for children and was a worthwhile expense at just 5 euros. She was so excited to tell us the things she was learning about each room that we visited and it made her feel like an authority on the subject.
We enjoyed a leisurely lunch in the adjacent village after we completed our tour. It was a beautiful way to enjoy the lovely fall weather and the perfect French landscapes while having a view of the château.
While driving away, we were treated to a hot air balloon taking flight from the grounds. This is a popular activity for locals and tourists with balloons taking off almost every day at sunrise and sunset. The view of its ascent was a fun way to end our tour.
This might have been my favorite of the châteaux we toured during our time in France. The beautiful country setting, the intricate details in both the exterior and interior architecture, and the iconic da Vinci designed double helix staircase were just incredible to witness in person. We are so glad that we had the opportunity to include this stop on our itinerary and highly recommend it. Have you visited Château de Chambord? What was your favorite thing?
