Une sortie au département de Loir et Cher: Day 2 - Chambord

Visiting historic houses often invites comparison. But in this instance it would be superfluous. Cheverny and Chambord are fundamentally different in concept and purpose. Shared points of reference are really limited to whether the footprint of Chambord and that of the overall estate is larger than at Cheverny. The answer to both questions is yes. Then we move on.

Chambord was not designed for comfort or to be lived in. The outward appearance is austere and the day we visited, being so grey, the sense of aloofness was very much heightened. Also unless it's a really nice day, the estate isn't  visually stimulating. There aren't the formal gardens that are so often associated with such properties. However during one of our conversations with Sophie at Les Chambres Vertes, we learnt that there are plans in place for or during the next few years, to restore the grounds at Chambord using the original design which has survived. It will take a considerable sum of money to complete the project. Bearing in mind that the chateau is state maintained, that is a big commitment. 

The history of Chambord rolls out over centuries from the initial conception, through periods of immense  social upheaval and changing ownership. The architecture of Chambord makes the chateau instantly recognisable, and at its heart is an extraordinary double-helix staircase. Brilliant in concept and technically complex, many believe that it is a Leonardo design or perhaps a copy of his work. It certainly bears all the hallmarks of Da Vinci ingenuity.

Chambord is the largest chateau in the Loire Valley. It was built but never completed by François 1 (1494-1547), as a hunting lodge, although he never spent more than seven weeks in it. The king also had royal residences at Blois and Amboise and it was at the Chateau de Clos Lucé in Amboise that Leonard Da Vinci spent his final three years of his life at the invitation of François 1. So there is a direct link between the two men. Several designers are credited with the design of Chambord including Da Vinci. It took twenty-eight years to construct Chambord: 1519–1547. Successive owners remained faithful to the original plans initiated by François 1. It of course suffered during the revolution. Napoleon gave it to his subordinate, Louis Alexandre Berthier. His widow sold Chambord which was purchased on behalf of the infant Duke of Bordeaux. Restoration was attempted, but never truly succeeded. In the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-71, Chambord became a field hospital. Various Ducal ownerships followed, but all restoration stopped with the onset of WW1. Chambord was confiscated as enemy property in 1915 and that suit was not settled until 1932.  The art collection of the Louvre was stored at Chambord during WW2 including the Mona Lisa. Restoration began again after WW2, in 1945. Disney used it as inspiration for the 1991 animation of Beauty and the Beast. It's a fascinating and on-going story.

As to the double - helix staircase, the original building centred around it. Essentially the two staircases in one construction rise through the three floors of Chambord, without ever meeting. You step off it when you reach the floor you want. I walked up one side and Mike walked up the other, in opposite directions and met on level 2. I can't describe it adequately. Somehow the staircases cross over each other but you never meet as you are walking up or down the staircase. You can only see each other through the 'windows' as here in the photo, that have been built into the central column.

As you walk up the construction material of the staircase changes from wall to glass, which is quite dramatic and lets in a considerable amount of light. It is referred to as 'the lighthouse effect'. Eventually at the very top you can go out on to the terrace.  The roofline with all its masonry looks like the skyline of a town. There are eleven different types of towers. Not sure how many chimneys. 

Henry James on visiting Chambord apparently remarked,
 ' the towers, cupolas, the gables, the lanterns, the chimneys, look more like the spires of a city than the salient points of a single building."


We're glad we went to Chambord, but our feelings were mixed. Given the extraordinary imagination that went into its design and development, we didn't think the visitor interpretation at Chambord was adequate. There was a fabulous film on the ground floor, which was essential viewing, if you were to stand a chance of understanding the design and the history. It was so interesting, so well put together and was available on different screens in different languages. But after that there were no visual references in any of the rooms, which were for the most part were empty. If you didn't see the film, the building simply couldn't come alive in the imagination. 

We discussed this with Sophie the following morning. It is a difficult problem to resolve. Being a historic building there's a limited amount of alteration that can be made, which is no different to the English Heritage restrictions in the UK. Also the walls are so thick, it is impossible to install electricity anywhere else, so audio visuals can't be supplied.  

Let's hope that someone somewhere will have a Da Vinci moment and will find a solution.
It would make such a difference. Whats more Chambord deserves it.  
A remarkable building.