Visit The Chambord Castle: A magnificent jewel surrounded by forestThis grandiose chateau sits in Europe’s largest enclosed park. Built for winter and hunting, The Chambord Castle was built with the warm coziness of a cabin, yet with the magnificent architecture of a French-Renaissance style stronghold. This four-floored masterpiece was the collaborative work of what seems to be an unknown and mysterious set of architects- having no architectural plans or blueprints to the castle. Only the influence of Leonardo Da Vinci is assured. This work of art is situated in a swampy marsh filled with wild boar and deer was the showcase of François I to numerous famous ambassadors of Europe.

Brief History of The Chambord Castle: Born from the interaction between France and Italy, The king of France envisions a simple hunting cabin getaway. Construction begins in 1519 and ends after his death in 1547. It is stated that along with the mysterious architects, both François I’s son and Louis XIV had major influence in the building. This is a major clue to why the idea for a simple hunting lodge evolved into this magnificent chateau six times the size of any other. Yet after the king of France’s death, the castle remained abandoned for almost fifty years. Afterwards, many famous ambassadors stayed here for many years throwing lavish parties until the state claimed it and began its restoration in 1947 which took almost forty years.

Architecture: The Castle of Chambord is a marvel of architecture new and unseen to France at the time. The central section known as the keep is modeled to be a Greek cross, featuring open and ‘transparent’ rooms, 440 lavish and apartment style living quarters, a magnificently enormous double helix staircase in the center, and fireplaces for every day of the year lust to keep this grandiose winter palace warm. The upper floors and roofs consist of hundreds of chimneys, many stairway turrets, and ornamental accents- very different from any traditional design at the time. The signature salamander emblem along with the letter F for François is seen all throughout the chateau. The awe of the building is truly a wonder of the world.