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	<titre lg="fr"><![CDATA[Château de Chambord]]></titre>

	<texte lg="fr"><![CDATA[Le château de Chambord se tient à quelques lieues de Blois, en Sologne. Palais emblématique de la première Renaissance Française, le château de François 1er constitue aujourd hui une étape incontournable dans le circuit des châteaux de la Loire.



C est au cS
ur d une vaste forêt giboyeuse, plate et fangeuse, souvent embrumée, que ce palais blanc et irréel surgit des marais. Le plan de l édifice est celui d un château fort de plaine. Il comporte une vaste enceinte rectangulaire, cantonnée de tours rondes, sur un côté de laquelle s érige un donjon. Ce dernier possède des proportions colossales, et constitue à lui seul le château presque entier. L ensemble dégage toutefois un profond sentiment de majesté, et la clarté géométrique du plan, l harmonie des proportions et la fantaisie de ses toitures hérissées de tourelles, de cheminées et de lucarnes vertigineuses furent, à travers les siècles, autant de sources d émerveillement. Selon Alfred de Vigny, " & on conçoit à peine comment les plans furent tracés&  c est un songe réalisé ".]]></texte>



	<titre lg="en"><![CDATA[Castle of Chambord]]></titre>

	<texte lg="en"><![CDATA[Only some remnants of Raoul Hurault s old fortified castle possibly remain today. To say possibly may be surprising. This is a mystery in Cheverny as it cannot be proven whether part of the outbuildings are vestiges of the old castle. The old castle was captured in a drawing by a travelling artist but there are no reliable landmarks in the drawing. This is why the present castle could well have been built on the exact spot as the old castle, which would have been completely demolished. 



The present Château de Cheverny is an original jewel among the more famous monuments that stretch along the Loire Valley. In fact, Renaissance style did not find its place in Cheverny, which is built in the purest Louis XIII classical style, distinguished by an extraordinarily symmetrical architecture. Cheverny, which was built in the first part of the 17th Century, is a prime example of this style. Its delicate features also stand out through the perfect whiteness of the stones, from the Bourré quarries in the Cher Valley. This particular stone not only comes out white, but also becomes harder with time. However, this almost rigid architectural layout also has its contrasts, such as the variety of roofing styles, from domes, to bell-towers and other French-style roofs. 



The building work was put under the direction of an architect, master-mason and sculptor, Jacques Bougier, who was very well-known in his time. He also worked on a wing of the nearby Château de Blois. His work on a royal castle shows Cheverny s desire for quality. Unfortunately, Bougier died before completing his work. Cheverny s main staircase is the work of an unknown craftsman who simply left his initials and a date on the ground floor: FL 1634. The Château de Cheverny is perfectly preserved as it was built all at once. Nothing has been changed. 



Thanks to this, Cheverny has maintained the same exterior for the last 350 years, without gaining the smallest wrinkle!]]></texte>



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	<adresse><![CDATA[Château de Chambord

41250 Chambord]]></adresse>



	<lien web="http://www.chambord.org" />



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