User:Shadowwalker raekn/sandbox

When I saw the Royal Chateau of Blois during my trip, I felt exhilarated. Since I had heard a lot about the Royal Chateau of Blois from my mother, as described as the Museum of France; this time, I would see it with my own eyes. Not only the construction of this chateau can be an ascent to the beginning of the 13th century, but also there are more than 35,000 works of precious arts, presented in the chateau [1]. It really impressed me with a unique panorama of French architecture [2], including four quite different wings, which are the Gothic, flamboyant, Renaissance and Classicism. Besides, it is in Blois where Joan of Arc, a well-known heroine came to have her banner blessed by the Archbishop of Reims in 1429. When it comes to this project, I choose Royal Chateau of Chambord to compare with Blois, because of the equivalent position in my mind. Chambord is one of the most popular and recognizable chateaux all over the world [3]. Quoting from my mother, it would be a great pity and loss if not visiting Chambord. Besides, the controversy about the designer of the unparalleled spiral staircase relates to Leonardo da Vinci, who is an illustrious talent. Both Blois and Chambord are royal chateaux in the Loire Valley, but Chambord is the largest one in this region, which is definitely bigger than Blois. The huge size of Chambord relates closely to its function and purpose, as a hunting lodge for Francois I; the smaller Blois, compared to Chambord, is the residence of Francois I. Chambord is built as a symbol of royal power and glory of Francois I, therefore, the walls, towers and partial moat are purely decorative without any forms of defence from enemies. Such architectural pattern of Chambord is nearly opposite from Blois, which is considered as the ideal first location in the Loire Valley to discover enemies [4], in order to maintain the safety of kings and queens in it. Besides, Chambord has open windows, loggia and a vast outdoor area at the top, which is typical Italian Renaissance style; and such design serves better in the purpose of beauty than use, since it is not practical to stay at Chambord in a long term basis, especially during the northern French cold and damp weather. Indeed, Francois I only spent 72 days at Chambord. That explains why Chambord is remained nearly unfurnished. On the contrary, Blois serves as a residence of seven kings and ten queens of France, which shows the royal power in terms of daily life at court. There are over 35,000 artworks, exhibited in the Francois I's wing, Louis XII's wing and others. In addition, the spectacular double helix open staircase at Chambord is described by John Evelyn as “an extraordinary work but of far greater expense than use” [5]. This quotation perfectly reflects extravagance and luxury of Chambord. So far, it is obvious that Francois I contributed a lot to both chateaux, indicated as 'builder king'. More specifically, it is he who first ordered the construction of Chambord in 1519, partly for his victory of the Battle of Marignano in 1515 during Italian Wars. Although Francois I is not the one who started the building of Blois, the so-called Francois I wing was the first construction ordered by him. Francois I refurbished Blois for his queen, Claude de France, who had been raised in Blois. The death of Queen Claude in 1524 in Blois would be the reason for Francois I's “disaffection for Blois” [6]. And then, Francois I distracted his attention from Blois to Chambord. Chambord was finished constructing under the reign of Louis XIV, Sun King, while Blois remained incomplete. I believe that incomplete work gives us blanket room for imagination of the finished building, which arouses our interest to explore further. Comprehension of the imaginary Blois varies from one to another. Also, incomplete work represents the imperfection, which is deemed perfect. As mentioned earlier, both chateaux involve traditional French medieval styles and classical Renaissance forms, but Blois presents the evolving process in its magnificent four wings, from the medieval fortress in the 13th century to the Louis XII wing at the end of the 15th century, from the Francois I wing in early 16th century (1515-1520) to the Gaston de Orleans wing in the 17th century (1635-1638). Blois is an interesting masterpiece in the architectural history, in the sense that the critical movements in architecture are shown clearly around the single courtyard. For instance, the tower named 'The Tour du Foix' was constructed on four levels from the middle age, however, only the first level remained through the time. The function is simply astronomical observatory, since this tower is above the terrace and oversees the Loire River [7]. Dating from 1214, the Hall of the Estates General is considered as a medieval legacy, because it is “one of the largest and oldest Gothic seigneurial rooms preserved in France” [8]. Aside from the medieval fortress, Louis XII wing is built for the king and his queen, Anna de Bretagne, who is vital to the history of France and died in Blois in 1514. Louis XII was born at Blois, so he was attached to this chateau. Reconstruction under the reign of Louis XII started to introduce Italian style, such as the Italianate decoration. The mix of Gothic form and Italian elements is expressed in a fresh French manner, with regards to the interior layout. Until now, the flamboyant style emerged, in terms of brick and stone structure, as to serve as royal receptions. The next is the famous Francois I wing with its eminent staircase. Construction of Francois I wing follows the medieval tradition, in terms of a high steep-sloped roof with dormer windows and a massive edifice. When it comes to decoration, the early French Renaissance elements are introduced, such as a massive cornice. The polygonal staircase serves as a new-fashioned theatre where 'one could see and be seen'. This projecting staircase represents the intermixing with tradition and the Italian Renaissance. Such blending may reflect the personality of Francois I, not only as a knightly king that inherited French traditions, but also as “a modern man who was fascinated by the culture and arts, inspired by the greatest artists of his time” [9]. The last is the Gaston de Orleans wing, which is an example of classicism and is never completed. It is a grand transformation, such as the double vault, decorated with allegorical sculpture. Gaston de Orleans, Louis XIII's brother, started to build his appanage in 1635. However, his hopes of being a king “were thwarted with the birth of Louis XIV” [10], then he started to focus on building Chambord. Therefore, the classical wing remained incomplete when he died in 1660 in Blois. As a whole, while walking around the courtyard in Blois, each evolution in architecture and history corresponding to each time period is revealed in detail. The incline is towards luxury and show-off. Nevertheless, Chambord is an integrated balance of traditional medieval French elements and modern Italian Renaissance taste. For instance, moats, walls and Gothic appearance of rooftop close to medieval fortress, as we see in Blois. Yet the symmetry of the buildings, the presence of vaulted ceilings and the position of the double helix staircase are inspired by Italian Renaissance, indicated as innovative touches. The double helix open staircase is the centerpiece of Chambord. The two helices ascend the three floors without ever meeting, ”illuminated from above by a sort of light house at the highest point of Chambord” [11]. However, the genius behind such spectacular design remains a mystery. I would like to believe it is Leonardo da Vinci for his multi-talents. It is still probable that the builder was inspired by Leonardo's manuscripts before or after Leonardo's death in 1519. From the construction of Chambord, we can tell similar personality of Francois I as from Blois. Gaston de Orleans also contributed a lot to Chambord, as discussed before in Blois. He indeed saved Chambord from ruin, through much restoration work from 1639. He could not become the king of France, but his dedication would be engraved in our minds. Assassinations seem to be common at Blois. The assassination of the Duke of Guise and his brother was ordered by Henri III in 1588. Henri III was tolerant of Protestants, aiming to end the Wars of Religion. One year later, he was assassinated by a Catholic zealot. Comparing to Blois, Chambord had fewer conspiracies due to shorter stay by kings. Chambord is also called by the jewellery of the Loire Valley with a pleasure garden and a hunting park. My approach to this project is to first classify every piece of information into four categories. And then I attempt to build links between two chateaux, according to those categories. Thirdly, I try to find out differences among those links. Lastly, I organize the whole comparison into three broad parts, in terms of general introduction, architecture and political events, with the indication about timing period and historical personalities. My perception of Blois and Chambord is confirmed and even deepened by my visit, as well as by the research. In spite of being told a lot about both chateaux, I was still shocked when I saw them. They are more than royal chateaux; indeed, they are the pride of French wisdom and the human intelligence. For example, Chambord represents the glory time of Francois I, which is described as men's chateau with the imposing manner. After I walked around the chateaux and did the research, the knowledge I had is confirmed by the reality. In addition, I learned more extensively and deeply through the visit and research. Also, it is easy to remember the facts while I actually see or listen to the subjects, which are quite helpful.

Bibliography 1] 2] RICHARD WHITEING. “THE CHATEAUX OF THE LOIRE” Century Illustrated Magazine (1881-1906), 04/1905, Issue 6, p. 803 3] FISHER, A HUGH, “SOME CHATEAUX OF TOURAINE”. The English illustrated magazine, ISSN 2043-2690, 10/1901, Issue 217, pp. 3 – 16. 4] E. “THE CHATEAUX OF TOURAINE: FROM A CORRESPONDENT”. Littell's Living Age (1844-1896), 08/1886, Volume 170, Issue 2200, p. 508 5] JOHN EVELYN. “The French Gardener”. 6] F H BRIGGS. “AMONG THE CHATEAUX OF THE LOIRE”. The American Architect and Building News (1876-1908), 01/1899, Volume 63, Issue 1203, p. 11. 7] 8] MCGONIGAL, DAVID. “France: Charm, Civilisation and Luxury”. Australian Accountant, ISSN 0004-8631, 06/1993, Volume 63, Issue 5, p. 45. 9] LENNOX, LORD WILLIAM. “HUNTING IN FRANCE, WITH A FEW HISTORICAL NOTICES OF THE ROYAL CHATEAUX”. New sporting magazine, ISSN 2043-510X, 06/1845, Volume 9, Issue 44, pp. 399-406. 10] “SOME GENTLEMEN OF FRANCE”. Saturday review of politics, literature, science and art, ISSN 0950-9852, 08/1911, Volume 112, Issue 2910, pp. 170-171. 11] “SOME REMARKABLE OLD FRENCH CHATEAUX”. The Leisure hour, Jan. 1852-Dec.1876, ISSN 2043-359X, 08/1856, Issue 243,pp.534-537