Key Information
Château de Chambord
| Type | Châteaux (Manor House) |
| Construction | 1519 to 1547 CE |
| Builder | Domenico da Cortona (Possible Architect) and Francis de Pontbriand |
| Built From | Stone |
Learning Point
- The Château de Chambord is a huge, over-the-top French Renaissance castle built by King Francis I as a hunting lodge. It’s famous for its unique architecture and its central feature: a brilliant double-helix staircase possibly designed by Leonardo da Vinci, allowing people to ascend and descend without crossing paths.
Project
- Draw the Château de Chambord as it looked in the past at the peak of its glory.
- Overview
- Plan
Location
| Location | Chambord, France |
Fun Facts
- The castle was built over 500 years ago by King Francis I, not as a full-time home, but as an enormous, fancy lodge for his hunting trips!
- The castle is so massive—with about 440 rooms and nearly 300 fireplaces—that it was almost impossible to keep warm in the winter! The King only spent about seven weeks total there.
- If you look closely at the ceilings and walls, you can see over 300 carvings of a salamander! This small reptile was the personal symbol of King Francis I.
- During World War II, the famous painting The Mona Lisa (and thousands of other treasures) was secretly hidden inside the castle to keep it safe from danger!
Past Lessons
| 185 | November 5, 2025 | (North America) |