With its 128 metres of facade, 440 rooms and 365 fireplaces, Chambord, near Blois, is the largest of the Loire Valley castles. Located at the heart of a 5440 hectare park (of which 4500 is forest), this castle was used for hunting. Its moat, surrounding walls and central Keep with four towers, expresses the strength of French architecture. Its classical facades are in contrast with the abundance of skylights, chimneys, spires and pinnacles that are visible from the Italian terrace. The building plan was one of a fortified castle. It involves a vast rectangular enclosure of 156 by 117 metres, with corners flanked by four cylindrical towers. On the north-west of the building is a Keep. This Keep has colossal proportions and forms, by itself, nearly the whole castle. The geometrical liveliness of the castle, its proportions, turrets, chimneys and skylights form an enduring attraction.

At the age of 25, François 1er realised a dream by having this magnificent palace built in the middle of an estate populated by stags and wild boar. In 1519, the ambitious young king needed to establish his power. Chambord was therefore designed as a genuine fortress with a keep and a surrounding wall with broad towers. But it is also an architectural masterpiece combining the tradition of French master masons with the lightness of Italian Renaissance buildings. Attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, its design is distinguished by its magnificent double-return stairs.