Page 294 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - France

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CHÂTEAU DE

CHAMBORD

EXPERIENCE The Loire Valley 6pm daily; Nov–Mar: 9am–5pm daily ¢ 1 Jan, 1 May, 25 Dec
! D3 ⌂ Loir-et-Cher £ Blois, then taxi, bus (2, 4) or shuttle
to Chambord (shuttle Apr–early Sep only) # Apr–Oct: 9am–
∑ chambord.org
Henry James once said, “Chambord is truly royal –
royal in its great scale, its grand air, and its indiffer­
ence to common considerations.” One glimpse of
the fairy­tale turrets and elegant gardens of this
magnificent château proves him right.

The Loire’s largest residence, brainchild of extravagant
François I, began as a hunting lodge in the Forêt de
Boulogne. In 1519 the original building was razed and
the creation of present-day Chambord began, to a design
probably initiated by Leonardo da Vinci. By 1537 the
towers, keep and terraces had been completed, the
work of 1,800 men and three master masons. At
one point François I suggested diverting
the Loire river to flow in front of the
château, but he settled for redirect-
ing the nearby Cosson instead.
His son Henry II continued his
work, and Louis XIV completed
the 440-roomed edifice in
1685. Depictions of the sala-
m ander, François I’s enigmatic
symbol, appear over 800
times throughout the château.

Chambord’s chapel,
begun by François I
shortly before his death

1547 1669–85
François I dies ▼ Louis XIV
at the Château completes the
de Rambouillet in building, then
Ile­de­France. abandons it.

Timeline 1519–37 1547–59 1670
▲ Le Bourgeois
Henri II adds the
▲ The Count of Blois’s
west wing and
Gentilhomme by
hunting lodge is demol­
ished by François I and
at Chambord.
the chapel.
the château created. second storey of Molière is staged
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