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Jerusalem artichokes and manners get on well with Chambord castle

François Ier, Chambord | Hélène Rival / CC-BY-SA
Castle of the Loire Valley Castle François I of France Chambord castle

Leonardo was here!

Started in 1523 for king François I, based on plans by Il Primaticio (gossip said it was Leonardo da Vinci), 1800 workers worked on the building site.

Nothing was too much, for the young king, who wanted to establish his power with this real palace: 56 metres high, 156 metres wide, 365 bedrooms (and chimneys)!

Jerusalem artichokes and good manners

François I, during his 40 years of reign, only came here… 40 days. But each time, what a riot of luxury! At that time, the court was itinerant, they brought their furniture from castle to castle.

That’s why today, Chambord seems so empty! We had above all tapestries, chests and beds.

And we were in the Renaissance, so Italian fashion was everywhere: an Italian treaty about good manners, ″The Courtier″ (written by Castiglione), became a best-seller in the court.

In Chambord, they carefully followed the instructions: on the table, we found oysters, melons, Jerusalem artichokes and heron pâtés.

People ate properly, they washed their hands...

About the the author

Vinaigrette
I'm fond of strolls and History, with juicy and spicy details!