The French gardens of the Château de Chambord
French Garden
Built by François I as a challenge to Nature, the Château de Chambord was known to the public as this masterpiece of Renaissance architecture preceded by a vast grassy esplanade. Since 2017, the facade of Chambord has been adorned with a new plant setting. In place of the carpets of grass which extended over the terrace bordered by the Cosson, the gardens laid out in the 18th century have been restored identically. This reconstruction is the result of 16 years of research and several months of work. An extraordinary project in the spirit of those of the Grand Siècle.
In the footsteps of the gardens of the Château de Chambord in the archives
Any scientific reconstruction project begins with documentary research in the archives, which consist of plans, accounts, contracts, reports, correspondence and engravings that enable us to trace the history of the site.
The origins of Chambord are, of course, linked to François I, its royal patron. François I was more concerned with the building itself than with the layout of its surroundings, and he did not seek to provide the Château de Chambord with a garden befitting its stature; at best, certain views of Chambord suggest the existence of a small, utilitarian garden.
We must then look as far back as the reign of Louis XIV to find any trace of a garden project for Chambord. A plan dated 1682, drawn up by Jules Hardouin-Mansart’s firm, has been identified. However, the documents show that the work, whilst it did indeed begin, was quickly halted. Yet it turns out that Jacques Rigaud, an 18th-century engraver, depicted the Château de Chambord and its gardens, suggesting that a project subsequent to that of Louis XIV was, in fact, completed. Indeed, other documents have revealed that the landscaping of the Chambord terrace was undertaken under Louis XV in 1734, based on a new design commissioned for Stanislas Leszczyński’s visit.
Thus, the façade of Chambord has not always been devoid of plant ornamentation. This state of affairs dates from the 1970s, a period when the garden, suffering from a lack of maintenance, was transformed into a green carpet for the sake of convenience at a time when the art of gardening itself had fallen into disuse.
In the footsteps of the gardens of the Château de Chambord on the grounds
An overview of the Chambord gardens
The question of which state to restore naturally arose, and the answer was clear: Chambord should be returned to the only garden that ever reached completion. It is in this garden—a faithful reconstruction of the 18th-century design—that the public can now stroll. However, it is by ascending to the upper floors of the château that one can best appreciate the new layout of the esplanade.
The space bordered by the Cosson River is divided into four squares. The one occupied by the château serves as the reference module, while the other three form the garden; each space is designed differently. To the north, there are two rectangular lawn parterres adorned with delicate embroidery-like patterns. On the outside, on either side, a double avenue of linden trees borders the parterres. While emphasizing the precision of the design, once the trees reach the desired height, these avenues will also provide a pleasant shaded walkway. Between the two parterres, a central path directs the gaze toward the horizon; it is embellished with flowers and topiaries shaped into cones and spheres. During the fine season, the vegetation is further enriched with potted citrus trees.
Adjacent to the north parterre, the northeast parterre is arranged in a right-angled quincunx planted with flowering bird cherry trees. Hornbeam hedges frame the ensemble on three sides.
To the right of the château, the East parterre draws inspiration from the layout of the north parterre but on a smaller scale and without embroidery patterns. Simple roses, conical topiaries, and spherical shapes complete the scene.
Although based on an 18th-century design, the gardens harmonize perfectly with the Renaissance façade of the château. They revive the principle theorized by Leon Battista Alberti in the 15th century, inspired by ancient architects: the garden serves as a vegetal transition, fostering dialogue between the stone architecture and the surrounding landscape.
The key figures of the restitution
The extraordinary construction site which was carried out at Chambord is certainly a restitution project but it is also an immersion into the art of building in the Grand Siècle. And although the technologies are different, the methods, knowledge and know-how, skills, needs for materials and plants are comparable.
- 16 years of work;
- a multidisciplinary team of 100 people;
- 6.5 hectares in area;
- 618 trees;
- 840 shrubs;
- 438 unités de topiaires ;
- 15,640 plants forming the borders;
- 10,928 flowering perennials;
- 176 rose bushes;
- 18 lemon trees in crates;
- 9,200 thyme plants;
- 18,874 m² of lawn.
The restitution of the Chambord gardens is an immersion in the past and a contemporary challenge
For several years now, historic gardens have been committed to the practice of eco-management and this is also the choice made by the Chambord team, namely: reasoned management of flower beds, choice of perennial plant species and requiring little maintenance, exemption from phytosanitary treatment. Thus, if the restitution of the Chambord gardens is a wonderful immersion in the past, it now requires taking up the contemporary challenge of maintenance that takes into account the preservation of the environment.
Le château de Chambord
41250 Chambord
Phone : +33 (0)2 54 50 40 00
Events to come
Chambord: a stroll through the village and gardens
This tour invites visitors to explore the grounds and uncover how they have evolved over time. It reveals how, from the very beginning, the estate was conceived as an ambitious project aimed at harnessing and organising nature.
