Chateau Chambord in the Loire Valley

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I saw another chateau today - and, just to warn you, I plan to see at least two more before I leave France. This one is Chambord in the Loire Valley. The Loire is famous for its chateaux and it is a part of a France I have never visited before. This particular chateau is huge and was started under the reign of King Francis I. He died before it was completed, but his son, Henri II, and others continued work on it through the years. It is now owned by the French government which runs it as a tourist attraction. The grounds are nothing compared to the formal garden I saw yesterday at Vaux, but the Chambord chateau itself is impressive (see picture). Its most famous feature is the double helix staircase in the center of the building (see picture). Two people could each climb a different arm of the staircase and never meet. The ceilings, moldings, capitals, and other extra spaces are often decorated with either an "F" or a salamander (see picture). Both are symbols for Francis I. He was a great patron of the arts and one of his key "finds" was Leonardo da Vinci whom he brought to live in Amboise, a few minutes drive from Chambord. Some people feel that Leonardo had a hand in designing the chateau, but no one actually knows who the architect was. I toured the rooms in the chateau, including the one that is a re-creation of Francis's bedroom (see picture). And on the way out, I took a picture of myself with a good view of the fanciful and varied rooftop of Chambord (see picture).

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