Post on 24-Dec-2015
By By Alexa and EmilyAlexa and Emily
Located in the Loire Valley in France
Largest castle in the Loire Valley
Well-known because of it’s French Renaissance architecture
Central tower, and four bastion towers at corners
Double helix open staircase
Surrounded by a façade, moat, and wooded forest
Elements of the castle borrowed from Italian Renaissance stlye
Originally built as a hunting lodge for King Francois I
Used the castle for short stays only
No heating system, lacked near-by village, unfurnished
Died in 1547
After Francois’s death—castle abandoned for over 80 years
1639—King Louis XIV restores and furnishes
Adds a 300 horse-stable
Abandons castle in 1685
1725-1733—Louis XV lived with Stanislas I at chateau
1745—gave castle to Maurice de Saxe for his fighting courage
Maurice died in 1750, leaving the castle empty again
1939—artwork from the Louvre and Compiegne museum stored at the chateauMona Lisa and
Venus de MiloBecame property of
French government in 193011 Million Francs
Restored after WWII ended
June 22, 1944—American Flying Fortress bomber plane crashed on to the castle lawn
An picture of the castle is used in the Microsoft Windows computer operating system—entitled “chateau”
The castle contains 440 rooms, 365 fireplaces and 84 staircases, 800 sculpted columns, elaborately decorated roof
Leonardo da Vinci visited the castle during it’s construction, and influenced some of it’s architecture
Located in a park which is surrounded by a wall of 22 miles in circumference.
1,800 men worked on the building of the chateau
The only furnished rooms are the chambers of Francois I, Louis XIV, and a large toy room
Main attraction—double spiral staircase
THE ENDTHE END