By Alexa and Emily

Located in the Loire Valley in France Largest castle in the Loire Valley Well-known because of it’s French Renaissance architecture

Central tower, and four bastion towers at corners Double helix open staircase Surrounded by a façade, moat, and wooded forest Elements of the castle borrowed from Italian Renaissance stlye

Originally built as a hunting lodge for King Francois I Used the castle for short stays only No heating system, lacked near-by village, unfurnished Died in 1547

After Francois’s death— castle abandoned for over 80 years 1639—King Louis XIV restores and furnishes Adds a 300 horse-stable Abandons castle in 1685

—Louis XV lived with Stanislas I at chateau 1745—gave castle to Maurice de Saxe for his fighting courage Maurice died in 1750, leaving the castle empty again

1939—artwork from the Louvre and Compiegne museum stored at the chateau Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo Became property of French government in Million Francs Restored after WWII ended

June 22, 1944—American Flying Fortress bomber plane crashed on to the castle lawn An picture of the castle is used in the Microsoft Windows computer operating system—entitled “chateau”

The castle contains 440 rooms, 365 fireplaces and 84 staircases, 800 sculpted columns, elaborately decorated roof Leonardo da Vinci visited the castle during it’s construction, and influenced some of it’s architecture Located in a park which is surrounded by a wall of 22 miles in circumference. 1,800 men worked on the building of the chateau

The only furnished rooms are the chambers of Francois I, Louis XIV, and a large toy room Main attraction—double spiral staircase

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