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onjour!
This month, our newsletter will take you to the ‘Château de Chambord’, without a doubt one
of the most remarkable Renaissance castles in France. While many consider it to be the most
beautiful castle of the Loire Valley, all agree that it is the most impressive and majestic.
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A Park as Large as the City of Paris!
François I spent lavishly to fund the castle of Chambord project. In fact, construction alone
took more than a quarter of a century. Started in 1518, work was interrupted in 1525 when the coffers
of the Kingdom were completely empty, and didn’t resume until October 1526. From that date on, you
could find up to 2,000 workers on the site at any given time. Having given up the totally
unreasonable plan of rerouting the river Loire to bring it to the foot of his castle, François
I settled for diverting one of its tributaries, the Cosson. The castle, completed in 1547, contains
440 rooms, 84 staircases, 365 fireplaces (one for each day of the year). It also has stables to
accommodate 1,200 horses. The property is surrounded by 20 miles of walls which protect more than
13,000 acres of woods. This huge hunting reserve covers as much ground as all of Paris!
The Lovers' Stairs
The initial wooden model of the Chambord castle, which no longer exists, was attributed to an
architect known as ‘le Boccador’. However, the name of the actual project architect remains a
mystery. The plan suggests both French medieval architecture with its typical cylindrical towers
at the corners of the castle, and the influence of Italian Renaissance architecture, specifically
that of the Italian architect Domenico da Cortona. Leonardo da Vinci as well is thought to have
participated in the design, as one of the master rooms of the castle is attributed to him. It houses
a double spiral staircase, with each stairway superimposed on the other so that two people can climb
or descend simultaneously without ever having to meet each other. Some say it was designed so that
kings wouldn’t ever have to cross paths with servants, others say that one staircase was for the
king’s wife and the other for the king’s mistress. The overlapping staircases are located at the
intersection of 4 huge rooms forming a cross. Crowned by a 125 ft high lantern, they lead to a
magnificent rooftop terrace. In her time, Catherine de Medicis, a devotee of astrology, would
often climb to the lantern and consult the stars.
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The Castle and the Countess
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François I spared no expense in building the castle. He wanted an imposing structure to
affirm his all-mighty power in the face of the Catholic Church, which was still very influential at
that time. He also needed a castle large enough to accommodate his court on his hunting trips.
Indeed, he was usually accompanied by a huge procession of courtiers and servants, upwards of
several thousand people, when he visited the castle. As for the choice of location for his
lavish weekend retreat, history suggests there might have been more to it than just a local
abundance of game. The Countess of Thoury, a very attractive lady, happened to live nearby. Perhaps
the king was trying to impress more than just his court with the scope of his project.
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A Week End Castle
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Chambord was never used as a permanent residence, and was only inhabited a few weeks a year during
hunting trips. With the means of that time, it was much too difficult to maintain, impossible to
heat in winter, (all the wood from the surrounding forest would not have been enough), and the
ambient atmosphere was often unhealthy, due to the proximity of stagnant water. Nevertheless, when
the sovereign chose to bring his court to the castle, it was a true expedition. The royal coaches
and carts would set off overflowing with furniture, tapestries, paintings, fancy clothes and of
course abundant provisions. The peasants of the region would watch this advancing procession stretch
over miles and miles, animating the usually peaceful countryside into a carnival-like setting.
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Just Like Versailles
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The castle passed through many hands over the centuries, but few had as much influence on it as
Maurice de Saxe. The illegitimate son of Frederick Augustus, the future King of Poland, Maurice
de Saxe was a valorous warrior and excellent strategist. He scored many victories, among them the
Fontenoy victory of August 1745, which earned him the unconditional friendship of King Louis XV.
In recognition for his services rendered to France, Louis XV granted him a most comfortable
pension, estimated at several million dollars in today’s market. He was also given the very
privileged honor of being allowed to ride his coach into the courtyard of Versailles and of being
admitted to the king’s inner circle. This allowed him to be present at his Majesty’s morning and
evening bedside ceremonies. Louis XV also gave him the castle of Chambord and ordered that any
improvements the Marshal saw fit to undertake be done at once, with no exception. Huge amounts
of money were spent to renovate every single room, as well as to build a new fairy-tale theatre.
114 roads were built through the surrounding forest to satisfy the new owner’s passion for horses
and hunting. Maurice de Saxe only lived there for two years (1749 and 1750), but he lived there
in style and as lavishly as anyone at Versailles. |
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The ‘Fleur de Lys’, Emblem of French Royalty
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The ‘Fleur de Lys’ is one of the symbols of French Royalty that can be found at Chambord, and in
many other royal settings. It has been a symbol of divinity and fertility ever since antiquity. It
was grown in the royal gardens in the Carolingian period, and was featured on various kings’ crowns
and scepters in 9th century paintings. This decorative detail was eventually adopted as the symbol
of royal power, and was named ‘Ly’, after the Celtic word for ‘sovereign’. Later, when coats of arms
were designed, kings kept the ‘fleur de lys’ as their emblem. They were applied in unlimited numbers
up until the 14th century when Charles V declared that they should be used in threes.
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The Salamander, Emblem of François I
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Like a child carving on his school desk, François I took every opportunity to embellish the castle
not only with his initial "F", but also with a stylized Salamander, his personal emblem. Today, you
can still see these Fs and salamanders sculpted into the vaulted ceilings of the 2nd floor rooms. A
symbol of both fire and cold, the salamander was a mythical animal that could live in fire without
harm, and also extinguish it at will with the coldness of its body. In medieval iconography, the
salamander represents "the righteous one who never loses the peace in his soul or his confidence
in God in the midst of tribulations." François I adapted this motto to suit himself: "I live in it
and I extinguish it".
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Invitation to Travel
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Chambord is probably the most majestic of the Loire Valley castles. We highly recommend the pleasurable
experience of wandering the huge halls full of royal history, strolling in the park and spotting a
stag or perhaps a wild boar at sunrise or sunset, or enjoying the fabulous equestrian "Son et Lumiere"
show held in full Renaissance costume, from May to September.
The entire Loire Valley has witnessed many significant passages of French history. So do not forget
that Chenonceau,
Azay-le-Rideau,
Villandry and many other prestigious castles
are only within a few dozens of miles of Chambord and are well worth your time!
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