Chambord Castle: photos and interesting facts about the most beautiful palace in France. France: Chambord Castle

He really wanted to build something similar to those palaces that he saw there, and give the castle to the lady of his heart. So, according to one legend, a majestic Chambord castle. It is believed that it was built according to the drawings of Leonardo da Vinci. The castle of Chambord was built on a swampy area for more than a quarter of a century - from 1519 to 1551. About two thousand workers were involved in the construction of the castle. Whole architectural ensemble decorated under its central object - "donjon". And the complex consists of two parts - the castle itself and the park area.

Chambord Castle - video

France, Chambord Castle - photo

Chambord castle, one of the most recognizable symbols of France, was built in the Renaissance style. Its decoration is incredibly beautiful - it has more than 400 rooms, among which there are even secret ones, as well as many stairs, fireplaces and sculptures. Among the stairs, two twisted spiral ( Leonardo da Vinci stairs) - they do not intersect anywhere, although they rise to the fifth floor. Climbing them, you can go to a large terrace and go around the entire castle around the perimeter.

Chambord Castle was built like a fortified fortress, although it never was. From the very beginning it was "suburban hunting lodge"King. But Francis was little interested in the castle and almost never came there. The dignity of Chambord and the descendants of Francis did not appreciate. Only Louis XIV really liked the beauty of this place and he willingly came here. The most magnificent events were held in it during the time of Louis XIV , a well-known lover of luxury, balls, royal hunting, theatrical performances, as well as knightly tournaments took place here.

Soon after his death, the castle began to change hands and gradually fell into complete disrepair. Only a few decades later, he finally came under the French crown. During the French Revolution, it suffered a lot, was looted, and almost all the furniture was sold from there. In 1930, the castle was nationalized, and after the war, it was transformed into tourist facility. Chambord Castle becomes one of the first sites under the care of UNESCO.

Chambord Castle is now the most big castle not only the Loire Valley, but all of France. It houses part of the Paris Museum of Hunting and Nature, in its art gallery exhibited portraits of all French kings, and around the castle stretches a huge (more than 30 kilometers in a circle) park area.

Chambord Castle - opening hours, ticket prices

You can visit Chambord Castle any day - it is open to the public all year round (except January 1st and 31st and December 25th). Castle opening hours: from January to March, the castle is open from 10:00 to 17:00, from April to September - from 9:00 to 17:00, and from October to December - from 10:00 to 17:00.

The cost of tickets to visit the castle is approximately 11 euros.

Chambord Castle - how to get there

You can get to Chambord Castle from the train that runs from the Austerlitz train station. You need to get off at the Blois stop, the journey time is approximately 1.5 hours.

Chambord Castle on the map, panorama

- one of the largest. Set in Europe's largest enclosed wooded park, Chambord is a gem of Renaissance architecture. It was built for King Francis I as a hunting estate and also so that he could be closer to his mistress. It is one of the most recognizable castles in the world due to its distinct French renaissance, which is a mixture of traditional French medieval elements with a pure renaissance structure.

Visit Chambord Castle:

The castle is open to visitors all year round, except for 3 public holidays.

Opening hours of Chambord Castle:

• Closed January 01, January 31 and December 25
• from January 02 to March 31 and from October 01 to December 31: from 09:00 to 17:00;
• from April 01 to September 30: from 09 to 18 hours.
• Last entry is 30 minutes before closing.

Tickets for Chambord Castle:

• adults - 11 €, reduced - 9 €
• Free: for EU citizens under the age of 25

Parking near Chambord Castle:

Paid parking

• Cars (motorcycles) : 6 € per day
• Van ( vehicle long< 7 м 90 см): 7 € в день (11 € за ночь)
• Bus (vehicle length > 7 m 90 cm): 50 € per day

Getting to Chambord Castle:

• From (less than 2 hours): 15 km to
• By motorway A10 (exit 16 or 17), A71 (exit 3) and A85 (exit 13)
• By train: or Mer

By train:

• 1 h 30 min from the station, stop or Mer (Mer).

By car:

• From the A10 motorway: exit 16 for Mer or 17 for
• From the A 85: Exit 12 Chémery
• From Highway A 71: Exit 3 for Lamotte-Beuvron

By bus:

From March 30 to September 02 special fixed-route taxi serves, Chambord, Cheverny and Beauregard.

• Navette 41 Blois > Chambord > Cheverny > Beauregard
• Service: April 1, 2016 - November 1, 2016

From Paris to Chambord Castle:

• PARISCityVISION offers a scheduled transfer from Paris -

History of Chambord Castle:

Chambord Castle was built by order of the young King Francis I, inspired by the victory at the Battle of Marignano. The castle was conceived as a permanent residence of the French monarch, a symbol of royal power, which was shown with pleasure to ambassadors and rulers of other states. This castle is a rare example of architecture that has come down to us almost in its original form.

Construction of Chambord Castle

Construction work began in 1519, on the site of the demolished old castle of the counts, but was never fully completed during the life of Francis I. Construction was temporarily halted after the defeat of Francis I in the Battle of Pavia against his Spanish rival Charles V and the subsequent capture of the French monarch in Madrid. Work resumed in 1526, at the same time the king corrected the plan of the castle: two side wings were added to the central donjon, one of which was planned to house the royal chambers.

The donjon was completed in 1539 and the royal east wing was completed in 1544. In 1545, an external passage and a double spiral staircase were added to the royal wing.

In December 1539, Francis invited Charles V, who was visiting France, to visit his new castle. The emperor was given a magnificent reception, and he, full of admiration from what he saw, called the donjon of Chambord "the focus of everything [...] that human genius is capable of."

Francis I closely followed the progress of construction during his reign, but lived in the castle for only a few days. By the time of the death of Francis I in 1547, the castle had not been fully completed.

Further construction in the western wing resumed under King Henry II, but again stopped due to his death in 1559. For a long time, the French monarchs were not interested in Chambord, coming here very rarely. The construction of this masterpiece was completed only under the Sun King, Louis XIV, who repeatedly stayed at the castle with his courtiers. Usually his trips were accompanied by hunting and magnificent entertainment events.

royal residence

In 1669 and 1670, the monarch was accompanied on his trip to Chambord by Moliere, who organized the first productions of two of his plays in the castle - "Monsieur de Poursonjac" and "The tradesman in the nobility"- which were successfully held on the stage of a temporary theater, arranged in the lobby of the second floor of the donjon.

Under Louis XV, Chambord Castle ceased to be a royal residence, from 1730 to 1733 his father-in-law, the deposed Polish king, Stanislav Leshchinsky, lived in it, and later the castle was transferred as compensation for his victory in the Battle of Fontenoy (1745) to Marshal Moritz Saxon. The marshal spent the last two years of his life here, arranging the castle and creating french garden on the north and east side of the castle.

During the French Revolution, the castle was plundered, but still not destroyed. For a long time it was in disrepair, until Napoleon donated it to Marshal Berthier in gratitude for his faithful service in 1809. Chambord Castle and the surrounding estate were then renamed the “Principality of Wagram” after the name of the place of the battle in which the marshal won. True, Berthier himself did not stay here for long. After the marshal's death, his widow immediately sold this huge castle complex, which is in disrepair.

Counts of Chambord

In 1821, the castle passed into the hands of the Duke of Bordeaux, the grandson of King Charles X, but during the stormy political life France, he ended up in exile, not having time to live in Chambord. His first visit - as Count of Chambord - happened only in 1871 and lasted only three days. During his stay at the castle, he compiled the famous "Manifesto", in which he called for the abandonment of the tricolor flag and the restoration of the monarchy. Even at a distance, the Count of Chambord tried to maintain order in the castle, he appointed a manager and took up the restoration of the castle, including opening it to the public. In 1883, after the death of the Count, Chambert Castle was inherited by the Dukes of Bourbon-Parma, his nephews.

However, the Dukes of Bourbon-Parma were citizens of Austria, in 1915 the state sequestered the possession of Chambord. And in 1930, Château de Chambord, by right of first refusal, was bought by the state. The authorities demolished the attics of the lower belt of fortifications built under Louis XIV, thus returning the castle to its original Renaissance appearance.

Chambord Castle was included in the first list of historical monuments already in 1840.

Architecture of Chambord Castle:

Chambord Castle is a skillful combination of traditional elements of the French Middle Ages and the Italian Renaissance. From the Middle Ages, the castle has a massive donjon, framed by towers, with an external passage and a lower fortification belt, a moat with water and a gothic form of spiers. But the centered plan of the castle, the double spiral staircase, the symmetry of the buildings, the geometric and decorative conciseness of the facades, the coffered vaults on the third floor and the decoration of the openings already correspond to the then new Renaissance style.

The author of this unique project is unknown. Various theories have been put forward, including the collaboration of the masters of France and Italy. At the beginning of the 20th century, the idea of ​​​​a possible mediation of Leonard da Vinci was first voiced: the centered donjon, a double-helix staircase and isolated terraces, as well as a sewerage system with a double drain pit and an outlet were characteristic of the great genius of the era, but Leonardo died in 1519, so that he could only be an ideological inspirer, but he himself could not participate in the project.

Chambord castle interior:

The cruciform plan also demarcates the donjon's four living spaces, absolutely identical on each floor. Only two opposite wings differ: the eastern "royal" wing and the western wing with the chapel. These parts of the castle can be reached from the courtyard through the corner staircases or through the upper galleries.

Thus, your itinerary may include visiting the three floors of the keep (moving up the large central staircase) and the wings of the castle, as well as exploring the galleries that connect the two wings of the castle to the keep. From the terraces of the castle you can enjoy a beautiful panoramic view of Chambord.

Chambers of Francis I

On the second floor of the royal wing, you can see the chambers of Francis I: a bedroom, several separate adjoining offices (dressing room, study) and an oratory, in which special attention deserves a vaulted coffered carved ceiling. In this wing there is also a large old hall, called the “Soviet”, which in the 17th century was divided into several rooms by Gaston of Orleans, who decided to convert it into his own home.

Vaults

On the third floor of the donjon, you can see another example of the castle's unique decor: each of the pillars is crowned with an impressive cassette vault in the form of a lowered arch, decorated with the emblems of Francis I. swallowing water to maintain the "good fire", as well as twisted belts with knots. Repeated hundreds of times, these voluminous symbols testify to the desire of the monarch to designate his own power with the help of emblems painted on the ceiling of the donjon. These powerful vaults bear the weight of the paved terraces located on the upper level. They are also equipped with an intricate rainwater drainage system.

18th century

In many chambers of Chambord Castle, the interior of the 18th century has been preserved, when a relative of King Louis XV and tutors lived here (the front room of the Marshal of Saxony, the chambers of the princes of Conti, the laurel chambers, the tutors' room). Comfort in this period was created by low ceilings upholstered in fabric, elegant parquet floors, and walls lined with wood. Large halls were divided by wooden partitions into separate rooms - bedrooms, studies, bathrooms ... At the same time, luxurious furniture was brought to the castle.

The Loire Valley is one of the richest historical monuments region of France. Nowhere in Europe you will find such a concentration of castles as here - there are more than a hundred of them in the Loire basin. Over 20 castles are included in the list of the World cultural heritage UNESCO. Among them is Chambord, located near Blois, one of the most famous castles in France, a recognized masterpiece of Renaissance architecture.

Love and castles

Francis the First, who ascended the throne in 1515, was known as the patron of the arts and cherished the dream of building a castle worthy of the greatness of France. Having conquered Northern Italy, the king himself was captivated by the architecture of this country, its magnificent palaces and mighty castles, and he wanted to build something similar at home. He met with prominent architects, painters and sculptors, some of whom the king persuaded to move to France, including the famous Benvenuto Cellini. In 1516, Leonardo da Vinci himself accepted the invitation of Francis, who received the official title of the first artist, engineer and architect of the king.

Thus, the "staffing problem" was solved. The ruler of the richest country in Europe at that time also did not experience a lack of funds. It remained only to choose a suitable place for construction. And then love intervened.

While in France, the king did not sit in Paris, but continuously traveled around the country with his entire court. During one of his trips through the Loire Valley, Francis stopped at the estate of the Comte de Toury near Blois, where he met the owner's wife Claude, who was the granddaughter of his tutor, Marshal of France Pierre de Rogan. The windy king kindled with a burning passion for her and evoked a response feeling that predetermined the choice of a place for the castle - Francis wanted to be closer to his beloved.

The Forest of Chambord has been the property of the Counts of Blois since the 10th century and their favorite hunting ground, as it was distinguished by its picturesqueness and abundance of game. With the accession of Francis' predecessor on the French throne, Louis XII, the forest became part of the royal domain. Since ancient times, there was a small fortress here, on the site of which the king decided to build a new residence, designed to amaze his beloved and the rest of the world with his splendor.

The name of the architect who supervised the construction work remains unknown, however, there is no doubt that the architect Domenico da Cortona, nicknamed Boccador, and Leonardo da Vinci contributed to the project. True, the great Florentine drew his sketches for another castle, moreover, he died six months before the start of work, but Boccador was directly involved in the design.

At the end of 1519, the builders began preparatory work. The area was ideal for a palace. The king was not satisfied only with the insignificance of the river Kosson, on the banks of which construction was carried out. At one time, he even nurtured the idea of ​​turning the waters of the Loire so that it flowed near the walls of the castle, but there was not enough money to implement the ambitious idea.

The erection of Chambord was one of the most ambitious building events of the Renaissance. During the construction of the castle, more than 220 thousand tons of stone were used, up to 1800 people participated in the work. The work was carried out in difficult marshy conditions, and many workers died of swamp fever.

The residential building of the castle was completed in 1537, and in 1540, work was completed on the construction of two floors of the northwestern wing, where the chapel was located, designed by Jacques de Gumbl, co-author of the idea of ​​changing the course of the Loire. Here were the economic services. The royal apartments were located in the northeast wing and were completed in 1547, when the customer was no longer alive.

Historical destinies of Chambord

Thus, the construction of the castle continued throughout the reign of Francis. After the initial surge of enthusiasm, the monarch lost interest in his offspring and did not even come here every year to hunt. Nevertheless, the castle turned out to be so magnificent that Francis, wanting to impress his main opponent in big politics, the Spanish Emperor Charles V, with the power of France, invited him to a meeting in Chambord.

After the death of Francis, the castle was practically abandoned for a century. The new life of Chambord began under Louis XIV. In 1670, the play “The Bourgeois in the Nobility” staged by Moliere himself was presented to the public for the first time, and in 1684 the royal apartments were radically rebuilt on the model of the Versailles chambers of the Sun King.

In the future, Chambord repeatedly changed its owners and inhabitants. The exiled king of Poland Stanislav Leshchinsky lived here, the regiment of Count Moritz of Saxony lodged, the famous alchemist and magician Count Saint-Germain conducted his experiments, the family of Napoleon's closest associate, Marshal Berthier, lived here.

The last king who owned the castle of Chambord was the grandson of Charles X, Henri, Duke of Bordeaux, who also bore the title of Count of Chambord. True, Henry was only nominally the king with the throne name of Henry V, he never ruled France and spent almost his entire life in exile.

In 1870, during the war with Prussia, a military field hospital was located in Chambord. In 1930, the state bought the castle from one of the representatives of the Bourbon family, and since 1947, infrastructure work has begun in the castle in order to make it as attractive as possible for tourists. In 1981, the historical and cultural significance Chambord has been recognized for international level- The castle was included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List.

Renaissance child

After the completion of the work, the castle was a truly fabulous sight. In the architecture of the new royal residence organically combined features of the Italian and French Renaissance. Chambord bears a clear resemblance to the layout of the castle made by Boccador for Charles VIII. The castle was built around a square building, nicknamed the donjon and repeating outwardly French medieval fortresses. Also in accordance with local tradition towers are built into the corners of the donjon. The length of the castle on the facade is 156 meters, the width is 117 m. In total, the building has 426 rooms and 77 stairs.

The donjon has 5 floors, and the residential building built around it has three. The floors are divided by cross-shaped halls into four identical sectors with living rooms. The plan in the form of a cross has not been used since ancient times and was revived only in 1507 by Bramante, the builder of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Thus, the Italian influence is nalmtso. The division of floors into independent, but identical residential apartments was typical of Florentine estates, which also betrays the hand of the Italian master.

During the visits of the king, the court lodged in the residential building. It was said that the numerous staircases of the castle, which are a real labyrinth, were specially designed so intricate that the royal favorites could not meet. Some of the stairs are equipped with ramps that allow riders to ride directly into the apartments without dismounting.

The structure of the building's frame is undoubtedly Leonardo da Vinci's. He also designed the magnificent double spiral staircase in the center of the donjon. Both rows of steps twist in one direction, while not intersecting anywhere. The staircase cuts through all the floors and opens onto a wide terrace, very characteristic of the da Vinci style. It offers a wonderful view of the roof, decorated with decorative pinnacle towers, columns, lanterns, sculptures of salamanders (the salamander was part of the king's monogram). Numerous chimneys stretch to the sky.

The staircase is crowned with a lantern 32 meters high, this is the highest point of the castle. Initially, it was through, later stained-glass windows were inserted into the windows. The dome of the lantern is supported by arches and topped with a royal lily.

The sculptural decoration of the interiors of Chambord also bears distinct signs of Italian influence, except for the carved capitals, made in a typically French manner. In total, the castle has about 800 capitals.

Royal apartments, apart from living rooms included two rooms. The large hall on the first floor was intended for official receptions. The second hall, located on the floor above, is decorated in the style of the Italian Renaissance and served as an office. The ceiling of the office is decorated with royal emblems - the letter F and a salamander.

Chapel occupying most northwestern wing, is the most spacious room of the castle. Doric columns and pediments support the high vault, evoking antiquity. The chapel and apartments of the king are located symmetrically with respect to the donjon, thus, the central residential building, intended for the courtiers, is located strictly between them - between the earthly and heavenly authorities. This was the intention of Francis himself, inclined towards symbolism.

In pomp and splendor, Chambord had no equal in Europe until the construction of Versailles. Appearance castle and today is amazing. The former luxury of the interiors can now be judged only by architectural elements- richly decorated stairs, fireplaces, windows, carved capitals. Antique furniture, which can now be seen in Chambord, belongs to later eras. Furniture from the time of Francis himself has not been preserved, since the headsets moved along with the royal court.

The castle was surrounded by hunting grounds teeming with game. with total area 5500 hectares, surrounded by a wall that is 32 km long. Now the former wild forest of Chambord is a forest park with the status of a reserve. It is the largest fenced forest park in Europe. Visitors are allowed access to an area of ​​1000 hectares. There are deer, wild boars and many other animals, over 100 species of birds.

Currently, Chambord is the second most visited castle and palace in France, second only to Versailles. Guests are attracted by the remarkable architecture of the castle, its unique interiors, magnificent views from the terraces. Fine examples are on display in the apartments antique furniture, and in the art gallery you can see rare portraits of French monarchs. Big interest tourists are also attracted by enchanting light and music performances that have been regularly held near the walls of Chambord since 1952.

Chambord Castle (Château de Chambord) is located 14 km east of Blois in the department of Loire and Cher among the forests natural area Salon.

The history of the construction of the castle

The vast estate of Chambord with a small castle was purchased by the Duke of Orleans from the Count of Blois in 1392. In 1519, after returning from Italy, King Francis I chooses Chambord for hunting fun and decides to build a more spacious castle here.

The author of his project is not known for certain. According to some reports, it could be Leonardo da Vinci, although he died a few months before construction began. It is more likely that he was an assistant and student of the great Italian D. de Corton. For the construction of the castle, 220 thousand tons of white sandstone were delivered from the pier of the town of Saint-Dieu, and about 1800 workers took part in its construction.

Construction work took place in difficult conditions due to the swampiness of the land and continued from 1519 to 1547. Carpenters had to drive their wooden ones under the foundation of the castle to a depth of 12m.

Style and layout

The architecture of the castle of Chambord obviously follows the stylistic features gothic castles Middle Ages. At the same time, the plan of the five-story citadel of the castle is a Greek cross, which is rarely found in residential buildings. On the two rays of the cross were built 4 round towers. Later, two three-story wings were added to it, also ending in towers with hipped roofs and lanterns.

On each floor of the donjon there are 4 round and square rooms connected by corridors leading to the main double spiral staircase. On it you can climb to a large terrace and go around the donjon around the perimeter. Another tower rises above the stairs. Overall Height which is 32 m. On its spire, together with the cross, a royal lily is fixed.

In the western wing, the architect J. Le Goumble built a castle chapel, while the owner's apartments were located in more spacious rooms in the eastern part of the castle. The total length of the facade is 156 m with a width of 116 m. On the 5 floors of the castle connected by 77 stairs, there are 426 rooms and halls. They are decorated with 800 columns with carved capitals, and 282 fireplaces were used for space heating.

succession of owners

After the death of Francis I, Chambord Castle is of little interest to the royal court. intensive Savor revived within its walls after Gaston d'Orleans becomes its owner in 1639. At the end of the century Louis XIV invites Moliere to Chambord, who staged here for the king the play "The Tradesman in the Nobility".

In the XVIII century. right up to the revolutionary turmoil, the castle belonged first to the former Polish king Stanislav Leshchinsky, and then to Marshal Maurice of Saxony. In the middle of the century, with the permission of Louis XV, the Saint-Germain laboratory was located in the castle of Chambord. In 1792, Marshal Berthier, an ally of Napoleon, became its owner. Since 1821 Chambord Castle has been owned by A. d'Artois, Duke of Bordeaux.

During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871, the castle housed a hospital. In 1883, the castle was acquired by the Duke of Parma, and in 1930 the French state bought it for 11 million gold francs from E. de Bourbon.

In 1947, work began on the restoration of the castle and its transformation into a major tourist, cultural and entertainment center. Since 1971, the second floor of Chambord Castle has housed Art Gallery Museum of Hunting and Nature in Paris. The halls display paintings by Rubens, Brueghel St., Snyders, Cranach dedicated to the hunting theme.

Castle park

Next to the castle is located in the XVI century. an extensive park covering an area of ​​about 7 thousand hectares. Only 14% of its territory is accessible to tourists. The whole park is surrounded by a colossal wall 32 km long, which has 6 gates. About 100 species of birds live in the protected area and you can meet wild boar, roe deer or deer.

In 1684, J. A. Mansart plans to create a regular park in front of the castle facade, consisting of two parts. It was not possible to carry out all the plans at once, since the work was suspended until 1734. The next stage in the history of the park is associated with the work of the gardener Zh-B. Pattara. In 1750, the botanical collection of the garden was enriched by plantings of boxwood, chestnut, orange trees, lemons and pineapples.

In the 19th century the garden is in disrepair and its revival takes place only in the 1930s under the leadership of A. Dashen. In 2010-2016, the garden was again updated according to the project of P. Tevo. At the same time, 18 thousand m2 of lawns were ennobled, 15 thousand plants and 1.2 thousand trees and shrubs were planted.

A renaissance masterpiece, a royal whim, both definitions are perfect for the majestic Chambord, the most opulent royal residence on the Loire. The castle, located east of Blois, dominates the entire area. Some believe that Chambord is second only to Versailles in its splendor, while others object, saying that the design and scope of the palace on the Loire overshadows the Parisian residence of the Bourbons.

Frankly, I did not know all this when I chose the castles to visit - rather, it was an intuition superimposed on the route.
Chambord is the largest castle in the Loire Valley, it is from here that most travel agencies begin their tour of the castles. This is a kind of "gateway" to the Loire Valley. But in my list, he was only the fourth .. I want to say right away that there are no special stories associated with him - the castle was built as a hunting lodge. The kings came, hunted for a few days and went back. And the fact that this "house" looks more like a palace, otherwise you can't call it a whim of the king. But I love weirdos, and royal eccentricities even more so.

History of the castle
Chambord is one of the finest Renaissance castles in the Loire Valley. The area on which it rises belonged in the tenth century to the counts of Blois, Champagne and Châtillon. In 1392 it was acquired by Louis of Orleans. When he ascended the throne under the name of Louis XII, the domain became the property of the French Crown. This elegant castle was built by Louis XII's cousin and successor, Francis I, who became King of France in 1515 at the age of 20. Immediately after his accession to the throne, Francis set off to conquer the province of Milan in Italy, which his predecessor had failed to preserve.

Francis I, King of France

After returning to France, the young and ambitious king, who won the battle near the city of Marignane, passionately carried away by Italian Renaissance architecture and hunting, begins the construction of Chambord Castle. After the capture of Milan, Francis I was lucky to see architectural masterpieces Northern Italy. Then he invited Leonardo da Vinci to France. The passionate desire of the king to see a building that could combine the style of the Italian Renaissance with the traditional french style, was only partially satisfied with the reconstruction of the castle of Blois. Leonardo da Vinci in 1517 worked on the design of the castle, which was never implemented, since in 1519 the artist died in Clos-Luce near Amboise. Francis I loved Leonardo very much, called him his father and was with him until the very last minute of his life.

The construction of Chambord began in the same year, the year of the death of Leonardo da Vinci, and became one of the largest construction projects of the Renaissance. They say that up to 1700-1800 workers were employed at the construction site. It took about 220,000 tons of stone. Life at the construction site was not easy, especially since the castle was built on a marshy place, many workers died from swamp fever. The carpenters drove the oak piles of the foundation to a depth of 12 meters. During preventive excavations in 2007, it was discovered that the southwestern tower rests on a rock of calcareous origin, that traces of a round sandstone building have been preserved - possibly the remains of a tower of a medieval castle that existed before the construction of a real castle.

Carts from the port of Saint-Dyé brought building materials and especially stone blocks made of white sandstone, a white, loose and brittle stone. Stonecutters, unlike other workers, did not have a fixed salary, they were paid piecework, as it should be for the work of a pieceworker. Therefore, on each processed stone they carved their own special inconspicuous sign. Such a signature allowed the treasurer to evaluate and pay for the work; the signs are still visible on some of the stone blocks that have not been graffitied since the castle was opened to the public.

Starting construction, the architects of Francis took as a basis a typical plan for castles of the late Middle Ages: a central fortified tower (donjon), located inside the fortress walls. ancient fortification was demolished to make way for a new castle. The name of the architect who created this project has not come down to us, but the analysis of frame structures reveals a huge influence of Leonardo da Vinci and a clear resemblance to some of the developments of Domenico da Cortona.

The work continued for many years. Under Francis I, a donjon was built, but the king spent a total of 72 days in the castle for all 32 years of his reign. In 1537, the residential building was completed, and in 1540, two floors were built in the wing with royal apartments, the lower floor of the wing with the chapel and the walls of adjacent outbuildings; and only in 1547, after the death of the king, the construction of the wing with the royal apartments was completed. At the same time, the chapel was raised to the level of the second floor, 12 years later a third floor was added to it, but the building remained without a roof until 1684.

Life in the castle proceeded mainly on the stairs and in the cross-shaped halls. In order to climb one or another floor, the inhabitants of the castle, in addition to the central staircase, could use other spiral staircases built in corner towers.

Francis I visited Chambord only on short trips, coming there with his second wife Eleanor of Habsburg and his favorite Anna d "Eily. With the exception of official meetings, he visited the castle only once every two years for a few weeks of the hunting season. The French Crown had at its disposal many other castles, and the movement of the king and his court was quite frequent.In this era, furniture and tapestries were transported from one castle to another, the tapestries served mainly to heat the apartments, which remained closed during the "dead seasons".

Although the castle was not completely ready at that time, in 1539, celebrations on the occasion of the visit of the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation Charles V took place in it with pomp and scope. This ceremonial celebration, organized by the master of ceremonies, Baron Montmorency, was held with special scope and pomp.

The imperial retinue, preceded by young girls scattering flower petals, was so delighted with the castle and its interiors that they defined it as "a synthesis of all the most beautiful that human genius is capable of." Francis I, who greatly appreciated female beauty, brought 27 girls of noble birth closer to his court, many girls also adorned the queen's retinue. The king claimed that "a court without women is like a year without spring, and spring without roses." However, in the fall of 1545, he sadly wrote with a diamond of his ring on the glass of the window: "How often women are fickle, the one who believes them is insane ...".

After the death of the king, the court moved to Paris. Henry II, son of Francis I, continued work on the castle. So, he started building the third floor of the chapel, as well as other parts of the castle, which he ordered to decorate with his monogram. It was in the castle of Chambord that in 1552 an agreement was signed confirming the accession to the French Crown of three bishoprics - Metz, Toul and Verdun, which previously belonged to it.

In 1559, after the death of Henry II, work came to a halt again, although his widow Catherine de Medici sometimes came to the castle with her children. Charles IX was very fond of hunting; on this occasion, many stories have been preserved, testifying to the strength and dexterity of the king as a rider and hunter. It was said, for example, that he pursued a deer until it was completely exhausted, not letting off a pack of dogs. Another time, having galloped tirelessly for 10 hours and driven five horses, he blew into his horn so loudly that blood flowed from it.

Henry III and Henry IV did not like hunting, and therefore visited the castle extremely rarely - the castle remained unoccupied for 50 years.
In 1626, Louis XIII ceded the County of Blois, which included Chambord, to his brother Gaston of Orleans. This gift stemmed not so much from kindred feelings, but from the desire to bind a brother to himself, whose loyalty did not always stand the test. Gaston of Orleans, having become the owner of the castle, resumed work on its renovation; they say that he loved to play with his daughter, the future "Great Mademoiselle", on the central staircase of the castle, going up and down its steps, while the little girl, running along the other turn of the stairs, could not catch him.

Chambord was later re-attached to the possessions of the French Crown. Louis XIV, who visited the castle only nine times, made great changes there, however. So, he did not want to live in the old wing of Francis I, but settled in the new apartments erected in front of the castle. Starting from 1680, the residence was enriched with new halls on the second floor and luxurious interior decoration, at the same time a new monumental entrance was decorated, decorated with a pediment. The territory surrounding the castle, covered with wild herbs and shrubs, was partially transformed into a park.

In 1669, Moliere and Lully created their "Monsieur de Poursonac" here. They played this play in the castle in front of the king even before the premiere. In connection with the indisposition of one of the actors, Lully at the last moment agreed to play the role of one of the doctors, so as not to deprive the sovereign of his favorite pleasure. However, despite the undeniable talent of the comedian and the abundance of buffoonery scenes, Lully noticed that Louis XIV did not laugh; even the scene with the doctors could not cheer the king. Then Lully dared to improvise: going to the edge of the stage, he jumped on the harpsichord in the orchestra, which broke with a huge crash into a thousand small pieces. Only after that the king burst into laughter and began to applaud: from now on, the success of the performance was guaranteed. The following year, another play by Molière, The Tradesman in the Nobility, was given in the castle.

Louis XIV, carried away by military projects, did not complete the construction work. The hunting grounds were gradually transformed into a park. In 1725, Louis XV gave Chambord to his father-in-law, King Stanisław Leshchinsky, who had lost his Polish throne, and continued to improve the residence until he took the throne of the Duchy of Lorraine.

Twenty years later, in 1745, the castle passed to Marshal Moritz of Saxony, the conqueror of Prague, Fontenoy, Rokur and Loufeld. He brought into the castle the volunteers of his regiment, which consisted of Poles, Hungarians, Turks and Tatars, dressed in brilliant uniforms, and the Chef's company of Martinicans on white Ukrainian horses. In 1750, the marshal, who had a weakness for the fair sex, died under mysterious circumstances; By official version, this happened from an allegedly neglected cold, however, there were rumors that the love passion that flared up between the marshal and Princess Conti caused the hero Rokura to be struck down by the sword of the prince. After his death, as a sign of mourning, the cannons of the castle were fired every quarter of an hour for six days.

Moritz of Saxony

Having changed numerous owners, the castle fell under the punishing sword of the Revolution when it was almost destroyed; in 1793, all its magnificent decoration was taken out. The inhabitants of the nearby town decided to disassemble this "abnormal mass into stone and build houses for the patriots," which they tried to do. The situation of the castle, already critical, did not improve during the time of Napoleon, when it passed into the hands of Marshal Berthier.

In 1821, the Legitimists bought the castle and presented it as a gift to the grandson of Charles X, the Duke of Bordeaux, who took the title of Count of Chambord. The last representative of the Bourbon dynasty was a kind of living symbol of the royalist party, striving for the restoration of the monarchy. He could have become king under the name of George V, but he refused all proposals, although he remained loyal to the white flag with golden lilies until his death in exile in 1883.

Comte de Chambord

During the Second World War, when France was occupied by the German army, the castle was occupied by a Nazi general. In 1944, while fleeing, he set Chambord on fire as a "distraction". The castle was saved by poppy guerrillas, and the writer Gaston Montmousseau, who fought in the Loire Valley, said in the words of one of his heroes:

"Here is the castle of the capitalists... I should have hated this castle with its turrets, grand staircases, luxurious wall upholstery. But no, on the contrary, I love it, there is something mine in it..."

This “something of mine” was created by the labor of more than one generation of craftsmen: masons, carvers, carpenters, artists, blacksmiths. Fine words about the charm of Chambord castle were said by the writer Victor Hugo, who compared it with "a woman whose hair was blown by a gust of wind."

Since 1932, Chambord has been owned by the state. In 1948, the forests around the castle received the status national park. About five thousand trees, shady alleys make up the luxurious green frame of the white-stone palace. In the landscape, the palace appears as a vision, "the fabulous halls of Baghdad and Kashmir" (A. de Vigny). He is inconceivable without his environment. If medieval castles, severe and gloomy, seemed alien to the landscape environment, then here we see something else. Both the color of the earth and the greenery of the forest creeping from the Loire create their own mood, their own special atmosphere.

They say that in inclement weather, when lightning cuts the night sky, and the wind howls lingeringly in the forest, on the quiet alleys of the park you can meet a mysterious rider rushing on a black horse. This is the ghost of Count Tybalt, who lives in the castle and goes hunting in the forest of Chambord on rainy nights. The history of the ghost is mysterious and controversial. Someone says that the count died in the forest during a terrible, sudden thunderstorm. Someone claims he fell victim palace intrigues and was treacherously killed during a hunt ... The ghost itself is not dangerous, but its silhouette suddenly appearing from the darkness and rushing ahead can be very frightening.

I completely and completely took the history of the castle from the Internet - I didn’t bother, because there is a big one ahead of us. sightseeing tour, which I myself will conduct, as always. All in all, to be continued.