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

Chambord is a French castle located in the commune of Chambord in the Loir-et-Cher department in. Built in the environment of the largest closed forest park in Europe (about 50 square km, enclosed by a wall 32 km long). This is the largest of the . Its garden and hunting park are historical monuments.

History of Chambord Castle

Initially, this land belonged to the Comtes de Blois. Here they built feudal castle, which in 1397, together with all the county possessions, passed to the Dukes of Orleans. In 1498, Louis d'Orleans became King Louis XII of France, and the land, together with a small fortified castle, was in the possession of the French royal house. The castle that we see now was built in the 16th century. under the direct supervision of the French king Francis I.

In 1516, Francis I, King of France since 1515, won a brilliant victory over the Duke of Milan near the city of Marignano. There, in Italy, the young king saw the works of the Italian Renaissance, was impressed by them and decided to help spread the ideas of the Renaissance in his homeland. There, Francis met the great Leonardo da Vinci, invited him to move to France, and from then until his death, Leonardo was the court architect of the king.

Impressed by his victory, Francis wanted to commemorate his success by building a castle in the middle of the forest of Chambord teeming with game. The idea of ​​the king was to build, taking into account the latest research of humanists and architects new town Romorantin, which would become the new capital of the state, and big castle in the neoplatonic style in Chambord. In particular, the project was based on the principles of Renaissance architecture developed by Alberti: geometry, mathematical calculations and rhythm.

The official date of birth of Chambord is September 6, 1519. Since that day, large-scale construction has been unfolding in Chambord. At first, the castle was supposed to become just a hunting residence: the primitive plan offered only a donjon in the middle of a square enclosed by a rectangular fortified wall. According to the plan, the donjon on each floor was decorated with 4 round towers and 4 halls forming a cross. This new "wonder of the world" was to perpetuate the name of the creator - Francis I, the "prince-architect". The development of the plans has not been preserved in the archives, but it is possible that Leonardo da Vinci, who settled nearby in Amboise at the end of 1516, took part in them, as did the architect Domenico Barnabi da Cortona.

Construction began with the destruction of many buildings, including the old castle of the Comtes de Blois and city ​​church, and the construction of the foundation of a square donjon surrounded by 4 towers. In 1526, the king changed his plan by adding two side wings to the original donjon, one of which was supposed to contain his chambers. 1800 workers worked at the construction site.

The donjon was already completed when in 1539 the castle was visited by the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, Charles Kahn, a great rival of Francis. A ball was arranged for the imperial motorcade, the halls of the castle were decorated with flowers.

The royal wing was completed in 1544. The outer gallery with arcades and spiral staircase was added by 1545. Francis died in 1547, having spent a total of 72 days in the castle.

Work on the construction of the chapel wing continued under the reign of Henry II, but was interrupted after his death in 1559. In the subsequent period, the royal presence in the castle became increasingly rare, although the building continued to delight its visitors. Cosmetic work was undertaken in 1566 by Charles IX, but Chambord was no longer of interest to the court, because. was too far from his usual places of residence in that era. Henry III, Henry IV were not there. Louis XIII stayed at the castle only 2 times.

Since 1639, the castle has been occupied by the exiled brother of the king, Gaston of Orleans. He received the county of Blois in inheritance in 1626 and undertook restoration work in the castle and arrangement park area. But the chapel remained without a roof until then.

Chambord was completed only during the reign Louis XIV. The Sun King understood the symbolic meaning of Chambord - a symbol of the power of royalty in stone and in time. Architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart in 1680-1686 finishes the western wing, the chapel, the lower fortress wall with accommodation for servants. Louis XIV visited Chambord several times, sometimes accompanied by the corpse of Molière, who gave performances in the castle. But after the appearance of Ludovic, he no longer comes to Chambord.

King Louis XV hosts his father-in-law, Stanislas Leszczynski, the Polish king, who was in exile in 1725-1733, in the castle. After his departure, Chambord Castle remains uninhabited for several years, until finally, in 1745, Louis XV gives it to the Marshal of Saxony to manage. The marshal builds barracks there for his regiment and lives in it until his death in 1750. A series of managers then passes through the castle.

During the French Revolution, residents of neighboring villages rob the castle and its possessions: trees are cut down, animals are destroyed, cattle graze in the gardens. The robbery reaches such proportions that the government sends an army to restore order. In 1792, the revolutionary government sells the surviving furniture.

Under Napoleon, General Ozhro goes to the castle, who restores the fence, locks the gates to the park in order to somehow save the property. The emperor himself decides to open a school for girls in the castle, but this intention is not realized. In 1809, the property was transferred to Marshal Louis-Alexandre Berthier, Prince of Neuchâtel and Wagram for his services to the emperor. Berthier comes to the castle only once - to hunt. After the death of the marshal, the property is put up for sale. It is bought by the state to give as a gift to the great-nephew of Louis XVIII, the young Henry d'Artois, Duke of Bordeaux. Later he will receive the name "Count of Chambord". The changing regimes of the July Monarchy, the Second Empire do not allow Henry to live in his homeland, but he is attentive to maintaining his castle and park in order, following the property through the manager and spending a lot of money on repairs, restoration of buildings and improvement of hunting grounds. The castle officially opens to the public. During the Franco-Prussian War, it housed a military hospital, and in 1871 it was briefly visited by its owner, the "Count of Chambord". It is in it that he draws up a manifesto-appeal to the French with a call to restore the monarchy. After his death in 1883, the castle was inherited by his nephews, the princes of Bourbon-Parma.

First world war the possession of Chambord comes under arrest. In 1930, the French state buys it from Prince Elie of Bourbon. The castle is transferred to state administration.

At the beginning of World War II, the castle became the center for storing the treasures of the national museums of Paris and the north of France, transported here in order to save them from German bombardments. Gioconda herself spent several months in Chambord.

In 1947 begins Long story for the reconstruction of the castle and its parks.

In 1981, the property was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Chambord architecture

Designed according to the medieval model of fortresses with a belt of fortifications and thick corner towers, the castle was conceived in gothic style(the upper parts - chimneys and turrets - are directed upwards), but it has a specific outline, thanks to which it becomes a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture. 156 meters facade, 56 meters high, 44 meters keep, 426 rooms, 77 stairs, 282 chimneys and 800 sculpted capitals. Many architects took part in the construction of Chambord, but no documents remain about the first architects, except for the mention of the name of Francis I, who personally participated in the development of construction plans. It is possible that Leonardo da Vinci himself, who at that time was the court architect, was included in the work; he died a few months after construction began. Among his drawings, images of doubles present in the castle were found. spiral staircases and structures in the form of a Greek cross - two main elements of the original design of the castle. It is also possible that da Vinci's assistant, Dominique de Corton, was also involved in the construction.

The construction of Chambord became one of the most significant in the Renaissance. The central plan of the castle consists of a square in the shape of a Greek cross, typical of most Italian churches of that time. However, in that era it was still rarely used for the construction of non-religious buildings. This central part began to be called a donjon, although it never had the purpose of a protective structure. Francis I in the course of construction added two wings and a fortress wall, focusing on the model of medieval fortresses. A feature of Chambord was the strict orientation of the diagonals of the donjon along the north-south and east-west axes; its towers are located strictly on 4 cardinal points.

The anomaly in the symmetry of the plan of the donjon has long been a source of controversy among scholars. It was believed that it was the result of errors during construction. However, archaeological research at the beginning of the XXI century. showed that these anomalies were originally designed: the project was immediately with an asymmetrical facade, but with central symmetry around a large staircase in the form of windmill wings. It is quite possible that this spiral building must have had a central staircase with four wings. Leonardo da Vinci worked on water turbines, and this dynamic plan, revolutionary for the time, could have been his brainchild and Chambord's first project. Archaeological surveys have shown that after the completion of work on the foundation of the donjon, the original plan was abandoned in favor of the construction of the wings of the building and the fortress wall.

Inside the donjon there are five residential levels. Each level has 4 square chambers and 4 in round towers. Between the chambers there are four corridors leading from 4 cardinal points to a double spiral staircase in the center. There is a chapel in the west wing, its entrance is in the east. For that time, such an arrangement of the chapel was atypical, because, in order to show that the king had spiritual power in his kingdom, he would have to place the chapel closer to Jerusalem, i.e. in the east wing.

In the center of the building is a double spiral staircase, similar to two intertwined trunks, symbolizing the tree of life in the Middle Ages. Two people walking up two flights of stairs can see each other through the holes, but they can't meet. On each floor, the staircase leads to 4 lobbies, forming a cross. At the top, a staircase leads to a large terrace (also an invention of Leonardo) that runs around the donjon and overlooks the monumental chimneys. A lantern tower rises above the stairs, clearly visible from the outside and similar to the bell tower of the chapel.

The third floor is remarkable for its four halls, in which traces of the original gilding and painting have been preserved. Each hall has a coffered ceiling of 80 sculptural cells with symbols of royal power: salamanders, sometimes surrounded by lily-shaped torches, monograms "F" with a crown. Salamanders of Chambord illustrate the motto of Francis I nutrisco and extinguo(I will feed on good fire and put out the bad fire).

The lantern tower rises to 32 m and surpasses all the chimneys of Chambord. At its top is a fleur de lis (heraldic lily) - a symbol french monarchy. The terraces are surrounded by turrets, skylights inlaid with tufa and slate mosaics. Towers, turrets, false bell towers and skylights are decorated with medallions, rhombuses, squares, semicircles and triangles of slate, similar to the black marble inlays at Chartreuse de Pavy, where Francis I was during his captivity.

The main material used in the construction of the castle is white tuff.

Lands of Chambord

In addition to the castle, the project of Francis I included a park. 5 years after the start of construction, the king takes measures to create forest land for hunting and protecting game, as was done in most large castles of the 15th-16th centuries. But this park is striking in its size: it is the largest walled park in France. And in the very center of it is a castle. To this day, living creatures are found in the park: these are deer and wild boars - the emblematic animals of Chambord, as well as Mediterranean mouflons (sheep), brought from Corsica, from botanical garden Paris, Vincennes Zoo and from the former Czechoslovakia. There are several ponds in the park.

There are several hotels and restaurants in the village of Chambord. Chambord Castle is the most visited of the Loir-et-Cher department.

On the second floor of the castle is the Museum of Hunting and Nature.

The castle regularly hosts exhibitions.

Visit to Chambord

HOW TO GET TO CHAMMBORD CASTLE

By car on the A10 highway (direction Bordeaux, then Mer or Blois), paid parking 200 m from the castle (4 euros): Car transfers

CHAUMBORD CASTLE OPENING HOURS

COST OF ENTRANCE TICKET TO CHAMMBORD

Adult - 11 euros

Children under 18 accompanied by an adult - free of charge

The unusual castle of Chambord in France is one of the famous palaces of the Loire, considered an outstanding architectural monument of the Renaissance. It was erected on the personal instructions of King Francis I, who intended to rest in it with his beautiful mistress Countess Turi, who lived nearby. The palace is located on the bend of the Cosson River, a branch of the Bevron River, which is the left tributary of the Loire. Chambord is only 6 km from the left bank of this largest waterway in France.

History of the castle

It is interesting to trace the history of Chambord in its modern form appeared here only in the middle of the XVI century. Estate, most which was occupied by forests, was acquired by the family of the Dukes of Orleans from the Count of Blois. At the end of the 15th century, representatives of this dynasty ascended the throne, which automatically made Chambord a royal residence.

Dilapidated medieval castle on the estate did not at all correspond to the dignity of the proud French monarchs, so Francis I decided to build a new palace.

Although the name of the architect is still unknown, certain historical sources claim that the great Leonardo da Vinci himself participated in the development of the project. It is difficult to say whether this is really true: the famous painter died in 1519, when construction was just beginning. However, art historians claim that the castle staircase, which consists of two intertwined spirals, was created by the genius Leonardo. The flights of stairs of its two branches are arranged in such a way that people going up and down it will never collide.

The reviews of contemporaries about the construction of Chambord Castle were not too flattering. The very process of erecting walls and fortifications looked grandiose enough for that era, but we can safely say that the new estate was created on blood and bones. More than 200 thousand tons of stone were required for construction work, and about 2 thousand people took part in them. Many of them did not live to see the completion of construction due to exorbitant physical exertion and swamp fever, often found in this wetland.

The building was completed in 1547, after the death of the monarch, who visited Chambord only a few times to hunt. For a hundred years, the castle remained practically abandoned until, at the end of the 17th century, Louis XIV ordered it to be slightly rebuilt. In particular, a new roof was installed on the chapel, and some of the rooms were combined into royal apartments. In 1670, it was here that the first performance of Molière's famous comedy "The Tradesman in the Nobility" was successfully held.

In the first half of the 18th century, Stanislav Leshchinsky became the temporary owner of the Chambord Palace.- Polish monarch in exile, who was the father of the wife of Louis XV. Then, before the start of the French Revolution, the building first housed an army barracks, then turned into the laboratory of the mysterious alchemist Comte Saint-Germain. After the revolutionary upheaval and until 1930, the castle passed from one French aristocrat to another until it became the property of the state.

During the Second World War, priceless works of art from the Louvre were hidden in Chambord, in particular the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. Despite the fact that part of the building was destroyed by fire during this period, the palace has been relatively well preserved and is now open to tourists.

What to see in the castle

The photo shows that Chambord Castle is built from large blocks of white sandstone. This gives it a special flavor, making the building lighter and more airy than the gloomy medieval citadels. The length of the facade exceeds 150 m, and the width of the building is just over 110 m. The palace consists of more than 400 rooms, interconnected by 77 stairs. There are about 300 fireplaces, which are considered real works of art, and numerous capitals are decorated with 800 sculptural compositions.

According to the reviews of tourists, the following objects deserve attention in the Chambord estate:

• Donjon - the central tower of the palace, giving it a resemblance to medieval citadels. It has five floors, each of which has 4 round and square rooms. The rooms are connected by 4 narrow galleries corresponding to the cardinal points, which converge at the central double staircase.
• The chapel in the western part of the castle, designed by the famous architect of that era, Jean le Gumbl, and the apartments of the ruler of France in the east wing. This arrangement was rather unusual for royal residence. It meant that the monarch lives in rooms directed towards Jerusalem and considers himself the head of not only secular, but also spiritual power in the country.
• Double spiral staircase in the center of the palace. It attracts attention not only by the fact that the ascent and descent along it are separated in space, but also by a beautiful carved pattern. The staircase goes around the donjon along its entire length and leads to a giant terrace, which offers a beautiful view of the chimneys and roof capitals. A small lighthouse tower is installed above the spans, perfectly visible not only from the outside, but also from the inside of the building, when a person stands on the lower floor. The height of the tower exceeds 30 m, and its top is decorated with a lily - a symbol of the French kings.
• The second floor of the palace. Its vaults bear the emblems of Francis I (a salamander and the letter F, ending in a royal crown) and his mother Louise of Savoy (a knotted lace). On the stairwells, some of the monograms, located next to the terraces, are placed upside down so that the Lord sees them and can appreciate the power of the king.
• Tapestries-cloths "The Hunt of King Francis", created in the first half of the 17th century. They were made by hand, even before the opening of the famous royal manufactory for the production of tapestries.

As the legends say, the French monarch and Jean Le Gumbl developed a grand project for the 16th century to divert the Loire from its bed in such a way that the waters of the river flowed right in front of the castle. However, on reflection, the ruler discarded this idea, the implementation of which would have been too expensive.

Tours and prices

If you believe the description from the guidebooks, Chambord Castle has practically no analogues not only in France, but throughout Europe. More than 30 years ago, it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, so it deserves careful attention. Once here, be sure to visit:

• Stair maze connecting small spiral staircases, picturesque terraces and open galleries. It is believed that such a layout made it possible to avoid the meeting of the king's numerous mistresses with each other.
• Museum of hunting and nature located on the second floor. Paintings dedicated to the theme of hunting, authorship of Rubens, Snyders, Cranach and other great painters are exhibited here.
• A park. It occupies more than 5 hectares and is surrounded by the longest wall in France with a total length of over 30 km. Tourists have access only to a small fenced area of ​​1000 hectares. The park is home to deer and wild boars, as well as many species of birds.

From January to March and from October to December tours of the castle are held from 10:00 to 17:00, from April to September - from 9:00 to 18:00. The entrance ticket will cost 11 EUR. You can buy it no later than 30 minutes before closing.

How to get from Paris

You can get from Paris to Chambord by the TGV train, which departs from Austerlitz train station. Traveling in a luxury compartment will cost about 35 EUR, the cost of a second class ticket is 23 EUR. The duration of the trip does not exceed 1.5 hours, and you should get off at the Blois stop.

You can also get to the castle from Gare Montparnasse with one change. To do this, you need to get to Saint-Pierre-de-Corp, a town not far from Tours (a ticket will cost about 40 EUR - 50 EUR). Here you will have to transfer to the local train TER, which will take you to Blois in just 25 minutes.

Chambord is a real encyclopedia of the heyday of the royal monarchy. Visiting the castle, you will learn a lot fascinating facts about the life of prominent representatives of the Bourbon dynasty.

Do you like to see this World? Do you go to different countries?
Have you ever been to the Chateau de Chambord? Have you walked along the Loire valleys?
There are castles, reflected in the river and their stairs are torn into the sky.
They were built, indulging the dream of the kings for the queen.
Azulai Elena

Castle complex Chambord, recognized as part of the World Heritage Site in 1981, was included in the classification of monuments of the Loire Valley.
It is an "outstanding example of a building, architectural ensemble or a landscape illustrating one or more significant periods in the history of mankind.

From the very history of the emergence of this castle breathes romance, because it was built by Francis I only so that the king could be closer to his beloved - Countess Turi, who lived nearby - and at the same time be able to receive guests in the royal residence

Chambord Castle or Chambord Castle (fr. Château de Chambord) is one of the castles of the Loire. It was built by order of Francis I, who wanted to be closer to his beloved lady, Countess Turi, who lived nearby.

Construction was carried out between 1519 and 1547 on the bend of the river Cosson (fr. Cosson) - a small tributary of the river Beuvron (fr. Beuvron), which flows into the Loire, about 6 km from the left bank of the Loire and 14 km east of Blois in the French department Loire et Cher (department number 41).
It is surprising that it took only 29 years (from 1519 to 1547) to build such a hulk - very little time by medieval standards.

But such a pace of construction became possible only because one of the largest construction sites of the Renaissance era was deployed here, on which almost 2 thousand workers worked daily.


In addition to the scale, the difficulty of construction work should also be noted, because the castle was built on a swampy area, because of which the workers had to drive the foundation piles into the ground by 12 meters, and many builders who worked here died from swamp fever ...


During recent preventive excavations under the castle, the remains of a round, tower-like sandstone building were found, left over from the castle of the Duke of Orleans (Louis XII), destroyed by Francis I to build his hunting castle in the style of the Italian Renaissance

It is quite possible that the favorite of Francis I, Leonardo da Vinci, who lived in the Clos-Luce castle, but died just before the start of the construction of the residence, had a hand in the project of the castle. The probability of his participation is high, if only because the king tried to use the unlimited talent of Leonardo almost everywhere
Architecture
Chambord is undoubtedly one of the most recognizable castles architectural masterpiece the era of the Renaissance. The length of the facade is 156 m, the width is 117 m, the castle has 426 rooms, 77 staircases, 282 fireplaces and 800 sculpturally decorated capitals.


The name of the architect is unknown, but studies prove the participation in the project of Leonardo da Vinci, who was then an architect at the court of King Francis I, but who died a few months before construction began, as well as the participation of Domenico da Cortona, nicknamed Boccador.



The plan of the castle is drawn around a central object, called the "donjon" because, although it was never intended to repel attacks, it was built on the model of the fortified castles of the Middle Ages.


Inside the donjon there are 5 residential floors. Each floor has 4 square and 4 round rooms; four corridors between the rooms, as if from four cardinal directions, lead to a double staircase in the center. King Francis I subsequently expanded the castle and lodged in the larger premises of the east wing.


A chapel was built in the west wing, completed by Jean le Humble. This arrangement of the chapel and royal chambers was unusual for that time: by placing himself in the direction of Jerusalem, the king wanted to show himself as the ruler of spiritual authority in his kingdom.


It was rumored that Francis I and his friend Jean le Gumble even wanted to change the course of the Loire so that it flowed right in front of the castle, but abandoned such an idea.


The double, two-way spiral staircase in the very center of the castle more than well conveys the creative style of Leonardo da Vinci.

Two-way - from two stairs in a spiral, turning in the same direction, but never intersecting, so that those who descended could avoid meeting those who ascended towards them, and vice versa


On this monumental staircase with carved ornaments, you can climb to a large terrace, also conceived by Leonardo, admire the chimneys and roof capitals and go around the donjon along the perimeter.



A lighthouse tower rises above the stairs, visible inside the building from the lower floors. It rises above all chimneys, reaching a height of 32 m; at the very top is not the usual cross, but a royal lily.

The second floor is also notable for its vaults, decorated with the emblem of the king (monogram F surmounted by a crown and a salamander) accompanied by a knotted cord - the emblem of his mother, Louise of Savoy.

Some of the monograms of the stairs at the level of the terraces are upside down, - “so that God from the height of heaven sees the royal power”!


Architectural details:

yard

Construction history

Construction began in 1519 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 found 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 medieval castle that existed before the construction of the present castle


On carts from the port of Saint-Dyé (Fr. Saint-Dyé), building materials were brought, and especially stone blocks made of white sandstone - a white stone, loose and fragile. 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.
History of the castle owners

Salamander, emblem of King Francis I
In 1392, the family of the Dukes of Orleans bought the large wooded estate of Chambord from the Count of Blois. When the Duke of Orleans becomes King of France in 1498 under the name of Louis XII, Chambord accordingly becomes royal property.

In 1516, Francis I returns from Italy with Leonardo da Vinci and a desire to do something big in the style of Italian Renaissance architecture of the time. In 1519, he chooses Chambord for the construction of a hunting castle on the site of a former fortress castle.

Starting in 1526, 1,800 workers were involved in the construction of a new castle, completed after numerous additions in 1547, after the death of the king. Francis I ends up spending quite a bit of time in Chambord - just a few times to hunt and demonstrate his wealth and greatness to rival Spaniard Charles V.

After the death of Francis I, subsequent french kings not particularly interested in an abandoned castle

In 1639, Louis XIII gives it to his brother Gaston of Orleans.

Louis XIV Stanislav Leshchinsky
Louis XIV in 1684 ordered new internal reconstructions of the castle, a new roof for the chapel, and about connecting the four residential chambers of the northern vestibule of the second floor into a suite of rooms for the king, such as the royal apartments in the Palace of Versailles. On October 14, 1670, Moliere, with a theater group from Paris, invited by Louis XIV, gives the very first performance of the play "The Tradesman in the Nobility" in the castle.

From 1725 to 1733, the castle was occupied by Stanislav Leshchinsky, the deposed Polish king and father-in-law of Louis XV. From 1745 to 1750 it serves as a barracks for the Moritz regiment.

Louis XV Count of Saint Germain

Tourists are told that in the middle of the 18th century, by permission of Louis XV, the chemical laboratory of Count Saint-Germain was located in the castle.

In 1792, the revolutionary government sells furniture. Napoleon Bonaparte gives the castle to Marshal Berthier. In 1821, the estate will be bought from his widow by means of a national subscription and given to the young Henri d'Artois, Duke of Bordeaux, born the year before.

During the Franco-Prussian War, the castle served as a field hospital. The Count of Chambord in 1871 will turn to the French from Chambord with a manifesto calling for the restoration of the monarchy and the white flag.

Since 1883, the castle has belonged to the Dukes of Parma: Duke Robert of Parma inherits the castle from the Count of Chambord, his maternal uncle.

Robert of Parma
Purchased in 1930 from Elia Bourbon for 11 million francs in gold, Chambord becomes the property of the French state and is managed through the Association of Friends of Chambord.

In 1945, due to a fire, the roof of the southeastern donjon was partially destroyed. In 1947 begins big job to turn the castle into the most important tourist facility, offering since 1952 also light and sound evening performances.


Interiors:

Incidentally, Chambord Castle Park is today Europe's largest enclosed forest-type park - an area of ​​​​5,441 hectares (of which 1,000 hectares are open to the public) is surrounded by long wall in France, 32 km long!

Since 1981, it has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List under number 933. Since 2005, the castle has the status of a state public and commercial enterprise.

In 2007, 17,300 scouts during three days celebrated in the castle park the centenary of the creation of the scouting organization by Lord Baden Powell. On the second floor of the castle there is now a branch of the Museum of Hunting and Nature.

The “emptiness” of this historical monument is a myth and a false impression, although in fact the castle has been empty from time to time since its construction. The mobile court changed its residence depending on the season, and the arrangement of the royal chambers was of a temporary and rather necessary nature.

Thus, the lack of permanent furnishings was justified. As a result, the administration of the Chambord complex faced the question of which period of interior to give preference to when restoring the historical setting of the castle - the Renaissance period or the 17th and 18th centuries.
Furnishing Chambord in the style of the era of Francis I was not possible. Royal furniture sets from the Renaissance have not survived to our time, including even in such institutions specializing in the history of that period, such as, for example, National Museum Renaissance in Ekuane. In the 16th century, the main attention was paid to the architecture of the castle, which in itself was a real work of art.
Opening hours and tickets
Opening hours: the castle is open to tourists all year round, except for January 1 and December 25. From January 2 to March 31 - from 10.00 to 17.00, from April 1 to September 30 - from 9.00 to 18.00, from October 1 to December 31 - from 10.00 to 17.00. Ticket offices close half an hour before closing

Ticket price: entrance to the castle costs 9.50 euros. For visitors under 18 accompanied by parents - admission is free. Car parking is paid - 3 euros per day.

There are audio guides in Russian. The cost is 4 euros. The duration of the audio tour is one and a half hours. Special free booklets in Russian, issued at the entrance, are a mini-guide to the castle.

How to navigate
Chambord consists of two parts: the castle itself and the surrounding park-reserve. The most famous and visible element of the castle's architecture is the double staircase, a masterpiece that owes its existence to the thought of Leonardo da Vinci. The staircase formed by two spirals in the central part of the structure is arranged in such a way that those descending and ascending could avoid meeting in person. observation decks allow you to see the entire estate, and the chapel, built in the opposite wing from the king, allows you to think about the eternal.

The terraces of the castle, from which you can see great view on rooftops, the best place to take photos.
Viewpoints of the park for those who love nature and are ready to wait in silence to see some of the inhabitants of the reserve, rare in today's world.

How to get to Chambord
From Paris to Chambord Castle TGV trains depart from the station austrelitz(Gare d'Austerlitz)

France, Chambord castle: the dream of a young king (Loire castles)
Along the Loire, one of the most beautiful French rivers, lined up, as if in a guard of honor, stone castles of extraordinary beauty. One of the most beautiful, most grandiose and extraordinary is Chambord castle.


Chambord was built by order of King Francis I, whose heart yearned to be closer to his beloved, Countess Turi, who lived nearby.


The construction of the castle began in 1519 on the site hunting lodge. The magnificent and luxurious castle was built for more than 15 years, and, despite financial problems, the monarch did not spare money for his beloved brainchild. Even when he needed funds to pay a ransom for his sons who remained in captivity in Spain, Francis I preferred to use the silver of his subjects and the property of the church, but the construction did not stop.


It is believed that Leonardo da Vinci himself took part in the development of the project of the castle “worthy of gods and legendary kings”, but the death of the great master prevented him from finishing what he started. And yet, many of his ideas were taken as the basis for the construction of Chambord Castle.
The Magic Castle was built in 1537. Its scale is not just amazing - it is stunning! The length of the castle is 156 m, the height is 56 m, it has 426 rooms, 365 fireplaces and 77 stairs (they say that this intricate network of labyrinths of castle stairs did not allow the numerous favorites of the king to collide).


The castle, which is the epitome of all the luxury and grandeur of the Renaissance, is located in the largest fenced park in Europe, the area of ​​​​which is 5500 hectares (for comparison, this is the area of ​​​​Paris within the city), and is surrounded by a wall 35 km long!




The castle impresses with sophistication and at the same time grandeur of luxurious interiors and external architecture.




And only one idea remained unrealized - instead of changing the course of the Loire, forcing it to flow in front of Chambord, they changed the course of the Closson river closest to Chambord, which filled the moat around the building.


What about Francis I? For all the time of his reign, the monarch spent only 42 days in Chambord ... He was here on short visits and did not equip the castle until the end of his life.


But his successor, Louis XIV, on the contrary, was very fond of visiting Chambord. Under him, brilliant balls, magnificent knightly tournaments, bright holidays, military parades were held here, operas and plays by Molière were staged. He also completed the arrangement of the royal apartments and the construction of the castle chapel.
In 1930, Chambord was bought for 11 million francs and today belongs to the French government.

The French city of Chambord is famous for only one attraction - the castle of the same name. But this one is worth a lot! Some say that the castle is second in splendor only to Versailles. Others are convinced that, with its design and scope, it even overshadowed the residence of the Bourbon family in Paris. It is clear why Chambord is second in the ranking of attendance (after Versailles) in France.

History of creation

The estate of Chambord, surrounded by forests, was acquired by the Dukes of Orleans back in the 14th century. At the end of the 15th century, the Duke of Orléans, from the Valois branch, became king (called Louis XII). The hunting estate, accordingly, passed into the possession of the crown.

Francis I (successor of Louis XII), inspired by the victory at Marignano and impressed by what he saw in Italy, decided to build a grandiose palace, testifying to the power of the French monarchs. Acquaintance with the artist and scientist Leonardo da Vinci increased the desire of Francis to create something grandiose. The genius da Vinci agreed to move to France and design the palace.

To implement the ambitious idea, it was decided to demolish the former Chambord estate and build a real Renaissance palace in its place. In 1519, the dismantling began. After 18 years, an architectural masterpiece has grown on the bend of the Kosson River!

He testified to the power of the crown, served as a hunting estate for the king and his retinue, as well as a meeting place for Francis I with his beloved Countess Turi. The castle continued to be improved until 1685. King Louis XIV, who passionately loved hunting, preferred it.

What to see in the castle

The first thing that impresses is the architecture. The silhouette of the building is made in the Gothic style, and the luxurious decoration is in the style of the early Italian Renaissance. They say that the French castle is no less impressive than the Indian Taj Mahal. Chambord is one of business cards France. The dimensions of the building are 156 meters long and 177 meters wide.

Upon completion of the inspection of the interiors, you can go up to the observation terraces of the roof to contemplate and be impressed by the nature of the estate. The sites offer stunning views that you should definitely take away in the photo.

In July and August, a visit to the Palace Museum can be combined with a night performance of a 50-minute digital video show with audio effects. From May to September, a 45-minute horse show "In the Forest of History" is organized daily.

From April to September in one of the halls there is an exposition of works by Jamel Tata (contemporary art). Chambord is surrounded by a park-reserve of the forest type. Its area is 5441 hectares (1000 hectares of which are available to visitors). The forest park, in turn, is surrounded by a wall. The length of the wall encircling the forest is 32 kilometers, the height is 2.5 meters! Deer, moufflons, roe deer and wild boars are found on the territory of the lands.

Palace interiors and da Vinci stairs

In a palace:

• 426 rooms;
• 77 flights of stairs;
• 282 fireplaces;
• 800 capitals with sculptures.

Only a small part of the premises is available for inspection. In particular:

• 18th century style front apartments;
• queen's apartments;
• 18th century apartments with improved comfort;
• portrait gallery;
• exhibition of carriages;
• chambers of Francis I;
• cabinet;
• conference hall;
• royal chapel;
• Count's Museum.

Although da Vinci did not live to see the start of construction, his handwriting is clearly visible in a number of details. Among the drawings of Leonardo were found drawings of a double spiral (spiral) staircase with two sections of steps. The "innovative" staircase, decorated with carved ornaments, still exists. Its main idea is that the paths of ascending and descending do not intersect. Today, visitors can climb it and appreciate the engineering idea!

Practical information

Address: Château, 41250 Chambord, France.

The cost is 11 €.

Boat rental (Kosson river):

The cost of renting a boat is 12-30 € depending on the type (rowing, electric motor), quantity seats and rental time.

Bicycle, trailer, quad bike rental:

Cost - 4-20 € (depending on the type of transport and rental time).

Guided carriage ride (French):

Walking cost:

Up to 6 years - free of charge.

6-17 years old - 8 €.

Adults - 11 €.

Combined ticket (castle + crew) - 20 €.

Night performance "Chambord - dreams and lights":

Price:

Performance ticket - 13 €

Combined ticket (castle + performance) - 18 €

Horse show "In the forest of history":

Price:

Up to 6 years - free of charge.

6-17 years old - 9 €.

Adults - 12.50 €.

Ticket (castle + show) - 21 €.

How to get there from Paris:

By car: take the A10 motorway and then turn towards Blois or Mer.

Train. Direct flight: station d'Austerlitz (Austerlitz) - station Blois (Blois). Continue by TGV train.

Transfer flight: Montparnasse train station (Montparnasse) - a suburb of Saint-Pierre-des-Corps. Then take the TER train to the Blois station (Blois).

From railway station Blois (Blois) to the castle:

• by taxi (daily);
• by bus 18 - adjusted to the train arrival schedule (from April to early September);
• shuttle bus 2 - with its own schedule (daily).

We decided to visit Chambord. The guidebook painted this castle as the most visited, the largest, more than 400 rooms, in general, the most-most and we were tempted, we thought 400 rooms is almost the Hermitage.

Near the castle there is an extensive parking lot, 4 euros per day. The price to visit the castle is 11 euros, free only for EU citizens under 25 years old. So had to pay for everyone including a 9 year old child. A brochure in Russian is attached to the ticket, for additional money you can take a Russian audio guide.

In fact, it turned out that the castle is essentially empty, residential interiors are only available in a maximum of 10 rooms, the rest of the rooms are empty or occupied by dubious contemporary art exhibitions, maybe, if not for the praises of Chambord from Lonely Planet, the degree of our disappointment would be less.

Of course, the outside of the castle looks much better than inside. It is a good idea to rent bicycles or a velomobile. The castle is surrounded by extensive forest land where wild animals abound. The entire estate of Chambord is surrounded by a 32 km long fence with 6 gates, extends over 5440 hectares - this is the area of ​​​​Paris within the city.

To date, the Chambord estate is the largest fenced forest park in Europe.

If you are lucky, you may encounter wild boars and deer while walking along the marked trails in the 800-hectare part of the park accessible to the public.

History of Chambord Castle

The young King Francis I was 24 years old when, in 1519, he began the construction of the huge castle of Chambord. At the same time, the Kremlin was being built in Moscow - as you know, made in the Renaissance style, Ivan the Terrible sat on the Russian throne.

Immediately after accession to the throne in 1515, Francis I set out to conquer the province of Milan in Italy, which his predecessor Louis XII had failed to preserve. After his return to France, the young and ambitious king, having won a victory at the city of Marignan, passionately passionate about Italian Renaissance architecture and hunting, begins the construction of the castle of Chambord. Saved in his concept appearance medieval fortress(central keep with four large towers on the sides and two wings, surrounded by an impressive fortress wall).

The castle was conceived as a transit point during the hunting of the king and his numerous retinue in the surrounding forests. Its dimensions are truly enormous - 156 meters long, 56 meters high, 77 stairs, 282 fireplaces and 426 rooms. There are really a lot of stairs and passages, perhaps the courtiers watched the royal hunt from the terraces of the castle, while tourists can enjoy the views of the park. Chambord Castle Park is radically different from the park and. No regular flower beds and plantings, it's more like a forest park.

Yet, despite its colossal size, the outlines of the castle are very graceful and harmonious. Of all the materials used for this structure, the most eye-catching is the white sandstone. This simultaneously soft and brittle limestone rock, which was used to build numerous structures in the Loire Valley, looks exceptionally magnificent in the Château de Chambord.

During the 32 years of his reign, Francis I spent only 72 days in the Chambord estate. He is not destined to see his offspring in its final form. By the time of the death of Francis I in 1547, only the donjon and the royal wing had been completed. His sons Henry II and Louis XIV, who were also passionate about hunting, gave Chambord its final appearance, which has survived to this day.

home landmark ness Chambord - Leonardo stairs

In the central part of the keep is the famous double staircase that leads to the top three floors of the castle. It consists of two spiral staircases arranged around a hollow central core. On this structure rises a turret with a lantern, above which is a fleur-de-lis. Two people climbing two flights of stairs can watch each other through holes in the core, but never meet! Its carving is one of the greatest masterpieces of the French Renaissance. There are four vestibules on each floor around a cross-shaped staircase. These halls lead to four completely identical apartments. This extremely unusual layout for France and the ingenious arrangement of the central staircase suggest that Leonardo da Vinci, who came to France at the request of Francis I in 1516, may have been one of the inspirations for the project.

State Apartments

Located on the second floor of the castle. In 1680, two separate apartments located along northern facade buildings were combined into one to bring the castle in line with the rules of etiquette that were introduced under the reign of Louis XIV, so the northern vestibule was eliminated. The hall of protection, the first and second entrance halls pass one into another as in Versailles.

The decoration of the front apartments, which you see today, was commissioned by Marshal de Sachs in the 18th century. The furniture has been restored to this last known condition of the premises.

The apartments of the queen, in which the two spouses of Louis XIV, Marie-Therese of Austria and the Marquise de Maintenon, lived in turn, are located in the tower next to the king's chambers. They also consisted of a security hall, two hallways, a hall and private chambers. In the 19th century, one of the hallways was converted into a dining room by order of the Duchess de Berry.

Never before has there been such a lively life in Chambord Castle as in the 18th century (12 years). These apartments were occupied by close associates of Stanislas Lezhinsky and Marshal de Sachs, later manager of the Chambord estate. The criteria for comfort have changed significantly since the time of Francis I: in order to ensure sufficient heating of the castle, the volume of the halls was reduced by dividing into several rooms, creating niches and lowering the ceilings. In the large fireplaces of the 16th century, more modest-sized fireplaces were built.

Portrait gallery of all the outstanding personalities who visited the Chateau de Chambord

All pictures are clickable and signed.

Francis I (1495-1547) King of France, who began the construction of the castle Duke Gaston of Orleans (1608-1660) brother of Louis XIII, lived in Chambord and Blois from 1634 to 1643 and from 1652 to 1660 Louis XIV (1638-1715) King of France, Stayed 9 times in Chambord Maria Theresa Austrian (Spanish) wife of Louis XIV
Françoise d'Aubigné, Marquise de Maintenon