The Loire Valley and especially Blois
The roofs in Chambord are full of wonderful details. Here putti and a Pegasus decorate intricate ornemental urns surmounted by the famous slate incrustations in the local tufa stone that are typical of Chambord. Les toits à Chambord recèlent de détails merveilleux. Ici des angelots et un pégase se trouvent au-dessus de vasques richement décorés …
Continue reading “Putti on the roof at Chambord – Angelots sur le toit à Chambord”
I thought these little cherubs inChambord looked very seasonal. Je trouvais que ces petits angelots arrivaient bien au point en fin d’année.
I shouldn’t have been surprised to see Molière in Chambord because he was a favourite of Louis XIV. In 1670, the Sun King invited France’s most popular playright of all times to stay in Chambord with his troup where he wrote the ballet comedy, Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme known in English as The Bourgeois Gentleman). Je n’aurais pas …
Chambord, being a hunting lodge, boasts a very large number of antlers! Chambord étant un pavillon de chasse possède un nombre important de bois de cervidés !
Looking out at Château de Chambord from the Saint Michel restaurant where we had lunch. Vue du château de Chambord depuis le restaurant Saint Michel où nous avons déjeuné.
This magnificent most famous staircase is believed to have been designed for François I by Leonardo da Vinci. It consists of two spirals which cross over each other and lead up to the roof terrace. The double ramp supported by eight square pillars seems to be a single ramp yet the two ramps never cross. …
Continue reading “Double spiral staircase in Chambord – Escalier double révolution à Chambord”
Château de Chambord has many sculptures like this little cherub who looks like he’s about to climb out of a miniature balcony. Le château de Chambord contient beaucoup de sculptures comme ce angelot qui semble s’échapper d’un balcon miniature.
Château de Chambord, designed as a hunting lodge by François I in 1519, has more than 300 fireplaces which are much less decorative than those of Blois Castle. Despite their dimensions, they were hard put to heat the enormous rooms Le château de Chambord, conçu comme résidence de chasse par François I à partir de …
Continue reading “Fireplace at Chambord – Cheminée à Chambord”