The castle of Chambord

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This jewel of French Renaissance architecture is considered the most beautiful of the Loire castles. Like Blois, the Château de Chambord is located in the French department of Loir-et-Cher , on the banks of the Loire River.

It was initially conceived as a hunting lodge for King Francis I , who maintained his habitual residence between the nearby Château de Blois and that of Amboise . There are some hypotheses about the involvement of the great master Leonardo da Vinci in his original design, upon being invited by King Francis I. Certainly, the great Leonardo resided and worked very close to Amboise, and after his death, he was buried in the chapel of Saint-Hubert , outside the castle.

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Regarding the structure of the castle, it is a quadrangular plan, with eight towers and a keep inside. Its spectacular dimensions accommodate 440 rooms , 84 staircases and 365 fireplaces . It stands out especially, as a jewel of architecture, its open double helix staircase that allows ascent and descent at the same time, without bumping into another person.

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Four rooms that form a cross and communicate with each other, are arranged around this double helix staircase, distributing four housing parts. It is believed that this design could be the work of Leonardo da Vinci, although there is no corroborating evidence.

The chapel , of exceptional dimensions, is linked to the tower by a gallery. Its construction was initiated by Francisco I and finished, later, by Luis XIV.

After the death of King Francisco I and for more than eighty years, the successors who inhabited the castle allowed it to deteriorate over time. Thanks to Gastón d’Orleáns , who received it as a gift from his brother Louis XIII , the restoration of the castle began to prevent it from falling into ruin.