HRH Grand Duke, HRH Grand Duchess at Chateau de Chambord 500th Anniversary;
Credit: © Cour grand-ducale / Samuel Kirszenbaum
The Chateau de Chambord in France is currently celebrating its 500th anniversary; on Saturday, HRH the Grand Duke and HRH the Grand Duchess attended a gala evening which began with a cocktail in the French gardens, followed by a private tour of the exhibition "Chambord 1519-2019: l’utopie à l’oeuvre" in the presence of the curators of the exhibition, Dominique Perrault and Roland Schaer. In addition, Their Royal Highnesses attended the inauguration of the decor of the court of François 1st.
The Grand Duke, Honorary President at the Château de Chambord birthday dinner, shared in his speech his strong attachment to this exceptional monument. He evoked family memories of the last generation of Bourbon-Parma who inhabited Chambord before the 1914 war (Robert I, Duke of Parma and great-grandfather of the Grand Duke, was the last owner of the castle).
Chambord being a universal monument, the Grand Duke also spoke of the work of genius that is the pride of France and Italy: a monument that has survived centuries and political regimes and that brings together today so many Europeans beyond their convictions and personal journeys.
Chambord is situated 550km from Luxembourg, south of Paris between Orléans and Tours. The chateau is one of the most recognisable in the world due to its French Renaissance architecture which blends traditional French medieval forms with classical Renaissance structures. It is the largest château in the Loire Valley and was built to serve as a hunting lodge for King Francis I of France (1515 - 1547).
The château is open to the public.
