Le Château de Chambord (Beth Olry)
The Château de Chambord is a Renaissance chateau located in
the Loire Valley in the heart of France. The primary significance of the
luxurious castle is its magnificent size and adapted architecture. Constructed
during the time period from 1519-1536. There are contradicting reports about
the actual architect to attribute this monumental beauty, but most are in
agreement that it was predominantly the work of Domenico da Cortona, along with
contributions by Leonardo da Vinci and several other architects and painters. Some
believe that French artists were influenced by Italian architecture and that
this led to the mixed style exemplary throughout the castle, birthing the
evolution of French style.
Initially,
there was actually a palace in this location used as a hunting lodge by Counts of Blois until King
François I demolished it in 1518. He decided it was the perfect place to build
a chateau six times the size of any other in Loire Valley as a monument to the
royal sport, also royal duty, of hunting. François I was compelled by
Europe’s largest enclosed forest park with a plethora of wild deer and boar
surrounding the chateau. The construction was later
completed during the reign of Louix XIV. It was reported that during Louis XIV
reign that 1800 workers worked continuously for 12 years.
Regarding
renaissance architecture, it blends traditional medieval forms with classical
renaissance structures. The impressive chateau consists of 400 rooms, 80
staircases, and 365 fireplaces for every day of the year. The royal influence
and hunting purpose are celebrated with the fireplaces as the Château de
Chambord is considered a winter palace. There is a plethora of towers,
cathedral ceilings, pointed domes, and pinnacles quintessential to renaissance
architecture. Gothic style is evident on the rooftop showered with spires,
chimneys, and pinnacles.
The
Château de Chambord has a Greek cross-shaped center plan design. The interior
central section is known as the “keep” and was a fortified tower to use as a retreat
during a battle, which was commonplace during the middle ages by European
nobility. The four sides of the structure open up onto spacious rooms. There is
a unique, memorable double helix staircase in the center of the building. A
moat surrounds the corner towers and demonstrates the military power distinctly
symbolic of sixteenth-century Renaissance chateaus. The first floor
houses royal apartments; the second floor a hunting museum; and the rooftop has
a “hunt-viewing” terrace. Only 80 rooms of the chateau are open for the public
to view.
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