The magical staircase of Chambord, part II !!! 

Posted in Europe, France

And we came back to mighty beautiful Chambord ! It has been said that the stretch of land on both sides of the Loire river passing by several famous towns for its castles was referred to as the valley of the kings. Well Chambord is the king of the valley! Chambord is a small village with a huge castle and even bigger forest in dept Loir-et- Cher,no 41 of the Centre-Val de Loire region of my belle France. As usual , I have written plenty but never enough when you consider the magnificent of Chambord. Therefore, here is my take on the magical staircase of Chambord, part II !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.

The village of Chambord is famous for its castle and its fully enclosed park, a national hunting reserve where presidential hunts once took place. The village and the entire territory are the property of the French State, administered in the form of a public industrial and commercial establishment called the Domaine national de Chambord. It is 18 km from Blois 54 km from Orléans , 82 km from Tours, 32 km from Meung sur Loire, 170 km from Versailles, and 435 km from my current home, I have been here from Versailles along the A10 to D112 and from my current home along the N165, A11 A85, A10 D956 D951 and D84, The latest was 35 min 31 km from our hotel in Meung sur Loire to Chambord follow D2 and D2152 towards Av. de Chambord/D925 to Beaugency, At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto Av. d’Orléans/D2152, Follow D925 towards D951 to Saint-Laurent-Nouan turn left onto Av. de Chambord/D925 (signs towards Lailly en Val/La Ferté St A./St Laurent des Eaux) Continue to follow D925 turn left onto Pont de Beaugency/D925 turn right onto D925 (signs towards La Ferté St Cyr/Chambord) at the roundabout, take the 1st exit onto D951 , Follow D112B and D112 towards Place Saint-Louis to Chambord.

Inside the place is gorgeous but as a must within the musts you need to see the magical staircase of the Château de Chambord right in the center.  The original stair conceived by Leonardo Da Vinci for king François I is magnificent, but first some overall impressions.  The magical staircase of the Château de Chambord was built right in the center of the keep, at the crossroads of four large rooms. This so-called double revolution staircase serves the main floors of the castle, up to the top terraces where it is surmounted by the highest tower of the castle. And of course wonderful views of the Domaine ! Since the 16C, it has exerted the same fascination on visitors to the castle, on the one hand for the architectural prowess it represents, on the other hand for the staging it induces. In fact, two people, each taking one of the ramps, can see each other through the windows in the nucleus but never meet. A game that is still enjoyed by tourists, like the guests of the castle over the centuries.

The staircase consists of an openwork central core around which wind, one above the other, two helical ramps supported by eight pillars. It benefits from side lighting, coming from the arms of the cross. Separating the main facade of the castle in two, the main section, called the Donjon or keep , rises. This tall cube is flanked at each corner by impressive round towers and overlooked by beautiful terraces. There, one walks between pointed roofs covered with slate, moldings and sculpted fireplaces and windows. In the center of the terraces stands the Tour-Lanterne. The highest point of the castle, its characteristic and ornate shape gives the house its recognizable profile.

The Tour-Lanterne also tops the majestic staircase of Chambord castle, one of the most fascinating elements of the royal residence. Nothing from the outside indicates its presence. It nevertheless forms the central point of the keep. Almost nine meters in diameter, it has two entrances at each level and a propeller shape. A touch of magic seems to accompany the people who enter its steps. If they go up or down at the same time, each taking a different entrance, they do not cross. It is made up of two staircases wound one above the other, which gives it the name of Chambord double revolution staircase. Its axis of rotation is at the heart of an empty column surmounted at its top by the Lantern Tower. This column has stone walls pierced with openings serving as a skylight. These windows per se allow those who use the steps to see each other even if they use different ramps, adding a playful side to this structure.

A bit of history tell us that in 1491, the estate was acquired by the French crown. In 1519, Francis I decided to build the Château de Chambord; it was completed in 1690 under the reign of Louis XIV. In 1930, the estate was acquired by the French State. The City/town hall of Chambord does not own any property, not even the City/town hall.

The official Domaine National de Chambord : https://www.chambord.org/fr/decouvrir/decouvrir-le-parc-domaine-chambord/

The official Domaine National of Chambord on the castle:  https://www.chambord.org/en/discovering/the-castle-visit/

The local Blois-Chambord tourist office on the castle: https://www.bloischambord.co.uk/discover-the-destination/the-loire-valley-castles/chateau-de-chambord/

The Loire Valley Centre Val de Loire region tourist office on the domaine de Chambord : https://www.loirevalley-france.co.uk/discover/loire-chateaux/national-domain-chambord/

There you go folks, I say the king of the valley of the kings, Chambord, undescribable. A must to visit while in France. We had come back, and will again. We were there even during Christmas magical, and concerts awesome. Again, hope you enjoy this post on the magical staircase of Chambord, part II !!! as I.

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Published by pedmar10

I am a lover of travels to Europe , Americas , Africa and Asia as well ,who like to share my experiences of the last 53 years with the world, visiting so far 81 countries; living in 6, working in 5, and Citizen of 4, speaking fluently 4 languages. I can deal with sports especially football/soccer and love music, arts, wine collector/drinker, and go out to restaurants, and just visit the world. My background comes all the way from Candelaria and Pajara in Tenerife, Spain where my grandparents came from ;not knowing each other then, to Punta Brava, west of Havana, Cuba. There , my parents born in Cuba met and later on I was born there too. 100% guanche (annexed Tenerife to Spain on April 10 ,1496). I left Cuba as many have to Madrid, Spain where I lived for 4 years. Then, move to Perth Amboy ,New Jersey USA (living there 13 yrs) ; where I completed high school, became a US Citizen, learned to drive a car, and learned English. Afterward, went to the university in Florida, ERAU, and upon graduation decided to moved there to Ormond by the Sea, near Daytona Beach, finally moving North Miami, then Hialeah, then another moved to Silver Lakes division in Miramar, Broward county, Florida; in Florida I lived a total of 18 years. Finally , moved to France in 2003 ,Versailles call me for its royalty, and working in Paris was great. It was time to seek frontiers again and moved to Brech near Auray, Morbihan in Brittany , and later move to not too far Pluvigner. Total so far in France has been 20 years, and counting. Moving average a home every 5.5 years hopefully this will be my last. Cheers All rights reserved. No part of this blog may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means or stored in a retrieval system of any nature, without the written permission of the copyright holder, me. No part of this work may be modified, without the written permission of the holder, me.No part of this work may be exposed to public view in any form or by any means, without identifying the holder as the author, and with the before mentioned permission.

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