Château de Chambord

Chambord, France

The royal Château de Chambord is one of the most recognizable châteaux in the world because of its very distinct French Renaissance architecture which blends traditional French medieval forms with classical Renaissance structures.

The building, which was never completed, was constructed by King François I in part to be near to his mistress the Comtesse de Thoury, Claude Rohan, wife of Julien de Clermont, a member of a very important family of France, whose domaine, the château de Muides, was adjacent. Her arms figure in the carved decor of the château.

Chambord is the largest château in the Loire Valley; it was built to serve as a hunting lodge for François I, who maintained his royal residences at Château de Blois and Château d'Amboise. The original design of the Château de Chambord is attributed, though with several doubts, to Domenico da Cortona. Some authors claim that the French Renaissance architect Philibert Delorme had a considerable role in the château's design, and others have suggested that Leonardo da Vinci may have designed it.

Chambord was altered considerably during the twenty years of its construction, (1519–1547), during which it was overseen on-site by Pierre Nepveu. With the château nearing completion, François showed off his enormous symbol of wealth and power by hosting his old archnemesis, Emperor Charles V at Chambord.

The château is surrounded by a 52.5‑km² (13,000‑acre) wooded park and game reserve maintained with red deer, enclosed by a 31‑kilometer (20‑mile) wall.

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Details

Founded: 1519-1547
Category: Castles and fortifications in France

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

kelso4001 (2 years ago)
Huge palace, very few pieces of furniture. Tons of rooms. Went to the very top and had great views of the gardens. When arriving early through the mist, the main entrance just looks amazing. There are places to eat, ATM, bike racks. It even has its own police force on horseback. Impressive.
Sarah Ton (2 years ago)
Great castle, no furniture but good exhibitions. Great garden. You can also rent golf cars to drive around and small boats. Wood around is great for a walking tour. At night you can see a lot of wild animals.
Dawn Connor (2 years ago)
Amazing building with lots of interesting history. Pleasant, open gardens in which to relax and have a picnic. Negative points were the lack of bins/recycling points and toilets and the cafe in the castle which was overpriced and not clean.
Justin Walker (2 years ago)
Wow! Just wow. Such a beautiful place. Definitely work the travel. I would recommend a bike ride in the French countryside to get there. The chateau is stunning when you see it. It looks like you’re in a dream.
Anetka Gičova (2 years ago)
This is very nice place where is a lot of history. History lovers will love this place. There are also beautiful gardens where u can just sit on bench and enjoy beautiful view. This is really big complex:) When u will close this place u have to visit it :)!
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