Château de Chambord & Château de Blois

Chateau de Chambord, Chambord, France

My first impression of Château de Chambord wasn't really a good one. When we talk about castle, I tend to think about those huge castle from the Disney Land and in all the Disney movies. But this one is different. I once learned afterward that this is not exactly a castle, but instead a courthouse. It was built by King François I in 1519 as a hunting lodge and not a permanent residence for any royal families. The structure itself was built by limestone because it is lighter than other materials like marble, but it also absorbs moisture making the itself cold and humid.

The Double-Helix Staircase

One important thing about this château is the famous double-helix staircase at the middle of the building. Two people can basically climb the staircase at the same time and reach the top without meeting each other. This is my first time seeing such a staircase which I later learned that it was inspired by the drawing from Leonardo da Vinci once he came visited France in 1913. And also because of the size of the staircase, the whole ceiling has to be much higher than usual residential places. The second thing about this château is the structure of the bedroom in 16th century that is multi-functional. This might be from the fact that it was a temporary place to stay and do not have many rooms, but I have a feeling that this is a tradition in 16th century rather than necessity. For example, King François I's bedroom can also turn into a kitchen for cooking from a large fireplace and a dining room from removable tables and chairs. This reminded me of people who live in a tiny apartment at the middle of the city that often do a similar thing with multifunctional furniture design.

Chateau de Blois (left: Classical Wing, right: Renaissance Wing)

The second château that we went is Château de Blois which is smaller, but I think is more interesting and full of stories. Château de Blois consists of four wings from four different eras: Medieval Gothic (13th century), Flamboyant (The Louis XII wing), Renaissance (The François I wing) and Classicism (the Gaston d'Orleans wing). Basically, if you stand in the courtyard at the center of the château, you can see four different French architectural designs in one place. The renaissance wing is similar to Château de Chambord that I visited in the morning. It is also a place for several important kings in that era such as Louis XII, Francis I, Henry III, Henry IV and Marie de Medici. In addition, because Château de Blois is meant to be a strategic place for defending during wars, it is built on top of the high hill, so that we can see a panoramic view of the town from the château.

Panoramic View from Chateau de Blois