ARTICLE / TRAVEL
chimneys and lanterns crowns some
440 rooms, 365 fireplaces and
84 staircases, including a famous
double-helix staircase , reputedly
designed by the king’s chum,
Leonardo da Vinci.
“In a place
of such
ostentatious
grandeur,
it’s often
the smallest
things that
are most
interesting”
Introducing
Cathédrale Notre Dame
For full-blown château splendour,
you can’t top Chambord, one of
the crowning examples of French
Renaissance architecture, and by far
the largest, grandest and most visited
château in the Loire Valley. Begun in
1519 as a weekend hunting lodge
by François I, it quickly snowballed
into one of the most ambitious (and
expensive) architectural projects
ever attempted by any French
monarch. This cityscape of turrets,
Construction was repeatedly
halted by financial problems, design
setbacks and military commitments
(not to mention the kidnapping of
the king’s two sons in Spain), and,
ironically, when Chambord was
finally finished 30-odd years later
François found his elaborate palace
too draughty, preferring the royal
apartments in Amboise and Blois. He
only stayed here for 42 days during
his entire reign from 1515 to 1547.
Despite its apparent compl