Chambord Castle (French: château de Chambord), in the Centre-Loire Valley region, is one of the most recognizable châteaus in the world due to its very distinctive French Renaissance architecture, which mixes traditional medieval forms with classical Italian structures.[1].
It is the largest of the Loire castles, but was built to serve only as a hunting lodge for King Francis I, who maintained his royal residences at the Château de Blois and the Château d'Amboise.
In 1840, it was inscribed on the first list of historical monuments in the country[2] and declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1981.[2] It is currently part of the group of Loire castles that were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, as "Loire Valley between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes", in 2000.[3].
History
real property
The design of the Château de Chambord is a matter of controversy.[4] The original design is attributed, although with several doubts, to Domenico da Cortona, whose wooden model for the design survived long enough to be drawn by André Félibien in the 19th century.[5] In the drawings of the model, the main staircase of the keep is shown as having two straight, parallel flights separated by a corridor and is located on one of the arms of the cross. According to Jean-Guillaume, this Italian design was later replaced by the central spiral staircase, similar to that of the Blois, a design more compatible with the French preference for grand, spectacular staircases. However, "at the same time the result was also a triumph of centralized design, which is itself a wholly Italian element."[6] In 1913, Marcel Reymond suggested[7] that Leonardo da Vinci, a guest of Francis at the Clos Lucé near Amboise, was responsible for the original design, which reflected Leonardo's plans for a castle at Romorantin for the king's mother, and his interests in the central design and double spiral staircases; The discussion is not yet over,[8] although many scholars now agree that Leonardo was at least responsible for the design of the central staircase.[9][1].
The archaeological findings of Jean-Sylvain Caillou and Dominic Hofbauer have established that the lack of symmetry of some facades derives from an original design, abandoned shortly after construction began, and whose floor plan was organized around the central staircase following a central rotating symmetry.[10] Such a rotating design has no equivalent in the architecture of this period of history, and seems to recall Leonardo da Vinci's work on hydraulic turbines or the helicopter. Had it been respected, it is believed that this unique building could have featured the open quadruple spiral staircase, strangely described by John Evelyn and Andrea Palladio, although it was never built.
Chambord Castle
Introduction
Chambord Castle (French: château de Chambord), in the Centre-Loire Valley region, is one of the most recognizable châteaus in the world due to its very distinctive French Renaissance architecture, which mixes traditional medieval forms with classical Italian structures.[1].
It is the largest of the Loire castles, but was built to serve only as a hunting lodge for King Francis I, who maintained his royal residences at the Château de Blois and the Château d'Amboise.
In 1840, it was inscribed on the first list of historical monuments in the country[2] and declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1981.[2] It is currently part of the group of Loire castles that were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, as "Loire Valley between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes", in 2000.[3].
History
real property
The design of the Château de Chambord is a matter of controversy.[4] The original design is attributed, although with several doubts, to Domenico da Cortona, whose wooden model for the design survived long enough to be drawn by André Félibien in the 19th century.[5] In the drawings of the model, the main staircase of the keep is shown as having two straight, parallel flights separated by a corridor and is located on one of the arms of the cross. According to Jean-Guillaume, this Italian design was later replaced by the central spiral staircase, similar to that of the Blois, a design more compatible with the French preference for grand, spectacular staircases. However, "at the same time the result was also a triumph of centralized design, which is itself a wholly Italian element."[6] In 1913, Marcel Reymond suggested[7] that Leonardo da Vinci, a guest of Francis at the Clos Lucé near Amboise, was responsible for the original design, which reflected Leonardo's plans for a castle at Romorantin for the king's mother, and his interests in the central design and double spiral staircases; The discussion is not yet over,[8] although many scholars now agree that Leonardo was at least responsible for the design of the central staircase.[9][1].
Regardless of who designed the castle, on September 6, 1519, Francis de Pontbriand was ordered to begin construction of the Château de Chambord.[11] Work was interrupted by the Italian War of 1521–1526, and was slowed due to dwindling royal funds[12] and difficulties in laying the foundations for the structure. By 1524, the walls barely rose above ground level.[11] Construction resumed in September 1526, at which time 1,800 workers were employed in the construction of the castle. At the time of the death of King Francis I in 1547, the work had cost 444,070 pounds.[12].
The castle was built to act as King Francis I's hunting lodge;[13] however, the king spent just seven weeks there in total, that time consisting of brief hunting visits. As the castle had been built for the purpose of short stays, it was not practical to live in it long term. The huge rooms, open windows and high ceilings made heating impractical. Likewise, as the castle was not surrounded by a village or estate, there was no immediate source of food other than hunting. This meant that all food had to be brought with the group, which typically numbered up to 2,000 people at a time.
As a result of all of the above, the castle was completely unfurnished during this period. All furniture, wall coverings, dining utensils, and so on were brought specifically for each hunting trip, a major logistical exercise. It is for this reason that many pieces of furniture from the period were built to be disassembled for easy transportation. After Francis died of a heart attack in 1547, the castle was unused for almost a century.
For more than 80 years after the death of King Francis I, the French kings abandoned the castle, allowing it to fall into decay. Finally, in 1639, King Louis XIII gave it to his brother, Gaston, Duke of Orleans, who saved the castle from ruin by carrying out many restoration works.
King Louis XIV had the great keep restored and furnished the royal apartments. The king then added a stable for 1,200 horses, allowing him to use the castle as a hunting lodge and entertainment venue for a few weeks each year; For example, Molière presented the premiere of his famous comedy, Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, here.[14] However, Louis XIV abandoned the castle in 1685.[15].
From 1725 to 1733, Stanisław Leszczyński (Stanislas I), the deposed king of Poland and father-in-law of King Louis XV, lived in Chambord. In 1745, as a reward for his bravery, the king gave the castle to Maurice de Saxe "Maurice of Saxony (1696-1750)"), Marshal of France, who installed his military regiment there. Maurice de Saxe died in 1750, and once again the colossal castle remained empty for many years.
Architecture
Contenido
El diseño original del castillo de Chambord se debe a Domenico da Cortona, pero fue cambiado durante los veinte años de su construcción (1519-1539). Se cree que Leonardo da Vinci estuvo implicado en el diseño original al ser invitado por el rey Francisco I.[17] Da Vinci vivió y trabajo allí los últimos tres años de su vida, falleciendo en 1519[18] en el castillo de Clos-Lucé, cerca de Amboise. Fue enterrado en la capilla de Saint-Hubert del castillo de Amboise. Los dos castillos se conectan por un pasadizo subterráneo.
En el castillo se destacan ocho torres inmensas, 440 habitaciones, 365 chimeneas y 84 escaleras. Cuatro vestíbulos rectangulares saltados sobre cada piso forman un conjunto en el centro. Uno de los toques de luz arquitectónicos muy famoso entre el gran público, es la hélice doble de la espectacular escalera abierta, donde la gente puede ascender y descender al mismo tiempo sin toparse con la otra persona.
Rodeado por 52,5 km² de árboles que forman un bosque de 31 kilómetros, el castillo es un cuadrilátero en cuyo interior se sitúa el torreón contra el lado septentrional. Dentro del torreón, en el cruce de los grandes vestíbulos perpendiculares a los que dan aposentos, la escalera de tramos dobles une las circulaciones verticales y horizontales y permite subir a las terrazas o bajar hacia el patio. Al salir de una sala, se encuentra en un vestíbulo con ventanas en un extremo y la gran escalera está visible.
Durante más de ochenta años después de la muerte de Francisco I, los siguientes reyes franceses no prestaron atención al castillo, dejando que se deteriorara con el paso del tiempo. Finalmente, el rey Luis XIII se lo dio en 1639 a su hermano Gastón de Orléans, quien lo restauró evitando que cayera en la ruina.
Tower and double helix staircase
Begun in 1520, this central body of the castle - although of French construction, with its corner towers - is already inspired by Italian architecture with its facades and horizontal mouldings. It is topped by a decorated lantern tower, around which the terraces unfold.
In its center rises the famous double-flight staircase, whose sculpted decoration is one of the masterpieces of the French Renaissance.
Adorned with two spiral folds intertwined with a hollow core, it allows people to be seen from one of the two sections taking the other without actually crossing each other.
Four rooms that form a cross and distribute four parts of the home are connected around this staircase. Chambord's exception lies in this totally new option of the centered plane. This could have been the work of Leonardo da Vinci, as tradition claims, but there is no evidence to confirm it.
The tower is topped by terraces, which simultaneously offer the spectacle of its multiple towers topped by high slate roofs and a magnificent panorama over the property.
Chapel
A gallery connects the tower with the chapel which, begun by Francis I, was not completed by Jules Hardouin Mansart until the order given by Louis XIV. Of exceptional dimensions, it occupies two floors.
Louis XIV's apartment
Two parts were joined to be partitioned in the north vestibule, to respect the rules of etiquette that required the royal suite to be placed in the center of the main façade. It was successively inhabited by Louis XIV, Stanislaus Leszczynki and then by the Marshal of Saxony.
18th century chambers
Chambord was never as inhabited as during the Age of Enlightenment. To evoke it, according to the taste of the comfort criteria of the time: reduced volumes by the creation of bedrooms, lowered ceilings, fireplaces, built into the large fireplaces of the century.
Illustrious inhabitants
• - Francis I of France. Builder of the castle, he established his home in the north wing.
• - Henry II. His son continued the work between 1547 and 1559 and added the chapel.
• - Gaston of Orleans. Brother of Louis XIII, he began the first restoration between 1643 and 1670.
• - Louis XIV. He created his room in the center of the façade. In 1670, Molière performed the first performance of The Bourgeois Gentleman in the guard room on the first floor.
• - Stanislaus I Leszczynski. Father-in-law of Louis XV and king of Poland in exile, he lived here from 1725 to 1733.
• - Marshal of Saxony "Maurice of Saxony (1696-1750)"). It received ownership from Louis XV in 1745, after his victory at Fontenoy, and celebrated sumptuous festivals. He died here in 1750.
• - Marshal de Berthier. He received the castle as a gift from Napoleon I in 1809.
• - The Count of Chambord, grandson of Charles
• - In 1915, the French government expropriated the property from the heirs of the Count of Chambord, the Bourbon-Parma family, compensating them financially in 1930.[2].
Image gallery
• - General view of the castle.
• - General view.
• - View of the roof and chimneys.
• - Double helix staircase.
• - Castle dome.
• - Annex:Castles of France.
• - Chambord Liqueur Royale de France.
• - Chaumont Castle.
• - Chenonceau Castle.
• - Montsoreau Castle.
• - Official website of the Château de Chambord (in French).
• - Chambord Castle — official website of France (in Spanish).
• - Chambord Castle, tourism and heritage Archived August 15, 2007 at the Wayback Machine.
• - Practical information for visiting Chambord Castle.
[3] ↑ UNESCO (ed.). «The Loire Valley between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes». Report of the 24th Session of the Committee. Consultado el 9 de marzo de 2015.: http://whc.unesco.org/archive/repcom00.htm#933
The archaeological findings of Jean-Sylvain Caillou and Dominic Hofbauer have established that the lack of symmetry of some facades derives from an original design, abandoned shortly after construction began, and whose floor plan was organized around the central staircase following a central rotating symmetry.[10] Such a rotating design has no equivalent in the architecture of this period of history, and seems to recall Leonardo da Vinci's work on hydraulic turbines or the helicopter. Had it been respected, it is believed that this unique building could have featured the open quadruple spiral staircase, strangely described by John Evelyn and Andrea Palladio, although it was never built.
Regardless of who designed the castle, on September 6, 1519, Francis de Pontbriand was ordered to begin construction of the Château de Chambord.[11] Work was interrupted by the Italian War of 1521–1526, and was slowed due to dwindling royal funds[12] and difficulties in laying the foundations for the structure. By 1524, the walls barely rose above ground level.[11] Construction resumed in September 1526, at which time 1,800 workers were employed in the construction of the castle. At the time of the death of King Francis I in 1547, the work had cost 444,070 pounds.[12].
The castle was built to act as King Francis I's hunting lodge;[13] however, the king spent just seven weeks there in total, that time consisting of brief hunting visits. As the castle had been built for the purpose of short stays, it was not practical to live in it long term. The huge rooms, open windows and high ceilings made heating impractical. Likewise, as the castle was not surrounded by a village or estate, there was no immediate source of food other than hunting. This meant that all food had to be brought with the group, which typically numbered up to 2,000 people at a time.
As a result of all of the above, the castle was completely unfurnished during this period. All furniture, wall coverings, dining utensils, and so on were brought specifically for each hunting trip, a major logistical exercise. It is for this reason that many pieces of furniture from the period were built to be disassembled for easy transportation. After Francis died of a heart attack in 1547, the castle was unused for almost a century.
For more than 80 years after the death of King Francis I, the French kings abandoned the castle, allowing it to fall into decay. Finally, in 1639, King Louis XIII gave it to his brother, Gaston, Duke of Orleans, who saved the castle from ruin by carrying out many restoration works.
King Louis XIV had the great keep restored and furnished the royal apartments. The king then added a stable for 1,200 horses, allowing him to use the castle as a hunting lodge and entertainment venue for a few weeks each year; For example, Molière presented the premiere of his famous comedy, Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, here.[14] However, Louis XIV abandoned the castle in 1685.[15].
From 1725 to 1733, Stanisław Leszczyński (Stanislas I), the deposed king of Poland and father-in-law of King Louis XV, lived in Chambord. In 1745, as a reward for his bravery, the king gave the castle to Maurice de Saxe "Maurice of Saxony (1696-1750)"), Marshal of France, who installed his military regiment there. Maurice de Saxe died in 1750, and once again the colossal castle remained empty for many years.
Architecture
Contenido
El diseño original del castillo de Chambord se debe a Domenico da Cortona, pero fue cambiado durante los veinte años de su construcción (1519-1539). Se cree que Leonardo da Vinci estuvo implicado en el diseño original al ser invitado por el rey Francisco I.[17] Da Vinci vivió y trabajo allí los últimos tres años de su vida, falleciendo en 1519[18] en el castillo de Clos-Lucé, cerca de Amboise. Fue enterrado en la capilla de Saint-Hubert del castillo de Amboise. Los dos castillos se conectan por un pasadizo subterráneo.
En el castillo se destacan ocho torres inmensas, 440 habitaciones, 365 chimeneas y 84 escaleras. Cuatro vestíbulos rectangulares saltados sobre cada piso forman un conjunto en el centro. Uno de los toques de luz arquitectónicos muy famoso entre el gran público, es la hélice doble de la espectacular escalera abierta, donde la gente puede ascender y descender al mismo tiempo sin toparse con la otra persona.
Rodeado por 52,5 km² de árboles que forman un bosque de 31 kilómetros, el castillo es un cuadrilátero en cuyo interior se sitúa el torreón contra el lado septentrional. Dentro del torreón, en el cruce de los grandes vestíbulos perpendiculares a los que dan aposentos, la escalera de tramos dobles une las circulaciones verticales y horizontales y permite subir a las terrazas o bajar hacia el patio. Al salir de una sala, se encuentra en un vestíbulo con ventanas en un extremo y la gran escalera está visible.
Durante más de ochenta años después de la muerte de Francisco I, los siguientes reyes franceses no prestaron atención al castillo, dejando que se deteriorara con el paso del tiempo. Finalmente, el rey Luis XIII se lo dio en 1639 a su hermano Gastón de Orléans, quien lo restauró evitando que cayera en la ruina.
Tower and double helix staircase
Begun in 1520, this central body of the castle - although of French construction, with its corner towers - is already inspired by Italian architecture with its facades and horizontal mouldings. It is topped by a decorated lantern tower, around which the terraces unfold.
In its center rises the famous double-flight staircase, whose sculpted decoration is one of the masterpieces of the French Renaissance.
Adorned with two spiral folds intertwined with a hollow core, it allows people to be seen from one of the two sections taking the other without actually crossing each other.
Four rooms that form a cross and distribute four parts of the home are connected around this staircase. Chambord's exception lies in this totally new option of the centered plane. This could have been the work of Leonardo da Vinci, as tradition claims, but there is no evidence to confirm it.
The tower is topped by terraces, which simultaneously offer the spectacle of its multiple towers topped by high slate roofs and a magnificent panorama over the property.
Chapel
A gallery connects the tower with the chapel which, begun by Francis I, was not completed by Jules Hardouin Mansart until the order given by Louis XIV. Of exceptional dimensions, it occupies two floors.
Louis XIV's apartment
Two parts were joined to be partitioned in the north vestibule, to respect the rules of etiquette that required the royal suite to be placed in the center of the main façade. It was successively inhabited by Louis XIV, Stanislaus Leszczynki and then by the Marshal of Saxony.
18th century chambers
Chambord was never as inhabited as during the Age of Enlightenment. To evoke it, according to the taste of the comfort criteria of the time: reduced volumes by the creation of bedrooms, lowered ceilings, fireplaces, built into the large fireplaces of the century.
Illustrious inhabitants
• - Francis I of France. Builder of the castle, he established his home in the north wing.
• - Henry II. His son continued the work between 1547 and 1559 and added the chapel.
• - Gaston of Orleans. Brother of Louis XIII, he began the first restoration between 1643 and 1670.
• - Louis XIV. He created his room in the center of the façade. In 1670, Molière performed the first performance of The Bourgeois Gentleman in the guard room on the first floor.
• - Stanislaus I Leszczynski. Father-in-law of Louis XV and king of Poland in exile, he lived here from 1725 to 1733.
• - Marshal of Saxony "Maurice of Saxony (1696-1750)"). It received ownership from Louis XV in 1745, after his victory at Fontenoy, and celebrated sumptuous festivals. He died here in 1750.
• - Marshal de Berthier. He received the castle as a gift from Napoleon I in 1809.
• - The Count of Chambord, grandson of Charles
• - In 1915, the French government expropriated the property from the heirs of the Count of Chambord, the Bourbon-Parma family, compensating them financially in 1930.[2].
Image gallery
• - General view of the castle.
• - General view.
• - View of the roof and chimneys.
• - Double helix staircase.
• - Castle dome.
• - Annex:Castles of France.
• - Chambord Liqueur Royale de France.
• - Chaumont Castle.
• - Chenonceau Castle.
• - Montsoreau Castle.
• - Official website of the Château de Chambord (in French).
• - Chambord Castle — official website of France (in Spanish).
• - Chambord Castle, tourism and heritage Archived August 15, 2007 at the Wayback Machine.
• - Practical information for visiting Chambord Castle.
[3] ↑ UNESCO (ed.). «The Loire Valley between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes». Report of the 24th Session of the Committee. Consultado el 9 de marzo de 2015.: http://whc.unesco.org/archive/repcom00.htm#933