Tanzanite's Castle Full of Books

The third chateau we visited on our Loire Valley day trip in 2011 was Chambord.  Again, the short amount of time we had there wasn't nearly enough...


Begun in 1519 for Francois I, it was not finally completed until 1685 and measures 156 meters by 117!



One of the highlights is the "double staircase".  With two sets of spiral stairs it is designed in such a way that one person can be going up and another going down without meeting, although they can see each other.



The King's Bedchamber, completed for Louis XIV.  The King made frequent visits to Chambord, his "country palace".  Much of the existing decor is from the mid 1700s (although the bed is a reproduction).