Restored Roof Lanterns
PRESS KITHistory and architecturalsymbolism
1519: A palace began to emerge in the heart of the marshy
land of Sologne, its construction ordered by a young KingFrançois I. It was a monumental feat of architecture that theking enjoyed showing off to other rulers and ambassadors as
a symbol of his power, engraved in stone.
The Château’s floor plan and décor were designed arounda central axis, its famous double helix staircase inspired byLeonardo da Vinci, that spirals up from the ground floor to theterraces capped by the Lantern Tower.

François I’s initial concept
The upper parts of Chambord were essential components ofthe Château, allowing visitors to spot the monument from adistance. They form its distinguishing silhouette bursting outof the forest.
The architectural composition of the Château, and especiallyof its upper sections, is a carefully planned illustration of theall-powerful divine right of King François I, imbued with themonarch’s own personal values, built on both chivalry andan obsession with Antiquity and Italian humanism that wasinstilled in him by his mother Louise of Savoy.

A COLOSSAL PROJECT
1539: After 20 years of building work, Chambord’s
central keep was completed. As many as 1,800 workers
were involved at peak times in the project. More than
20,000 tonnes of tufa limestone were carried up theLoire on barges from Tours to the Port of Saint-Dyé. The
slate roofing materials were extracted from quarries near
Angers, the wood for the framing was felled in nearby
forests, and the lead used for waterproofing arrived after
crossing the channel from England.
These raw materials were then cut, hewn, sculpted
and raised, in some cases more than 50 metres above
ground, before finally being assembled.

1519

1531-1534

2

1526

1524

1539

1529

1545

1547

Architectural message
The initial concept was laid out in a square, centredplan. The concept’s floor plan and elevations,featuring centred-plan church designs by Bramanteand Leonardo da Vinci, were all expressions of theking’s divinity. The absence of a chapel – replacedby oratories in the bedchambers inside the keep –further corroborates that symbolism.
Within the square, a revolving plan at the cornersendows this architectural portrait of an almighty
king with an impression of perpetual movement,of eternity. The central double helix staircase
running through the building from top to bottom,
connecting the heavens to the earth, represents
the duality of the king, both human and divine,
along with the duality of good and evil referenced
in his motto.

T he upper parts of the Château:
Abundant decorations
The different architectural elements were chosenwith care and designed to express François I’smessage both visually and spatially… andtherefore sensorially. Three components cameinto play: forms, décor and measurements(number and dimensions). The exuberance thatwas injected into each of those components
elevated the political message to communicate
the aesthetic, poetical strength of its artistic andarchitectural expression.
In echo to the focal point of the Lantern Tower,a demonstration of François I’s pre-eminence
as the authority above all others, the four towers
positioned at the cardinal points symbolized thereach of the king’s power, extending in all fourdirections – to his kingdom and beyond.

LANTERN TOWERCORNER TOWERS

A double helix staircase – the backbone of the Château
– climbs up through the middle of the keep, all the way
to the terraces. Above that, the empty core of the grandstaircase contains a spiral stairway that extends outside
the main structure in a turret leading to the lantern.

The roof lanterns on the keep’s four corner towers
undoubtedly featured substantial finials and probably
some additional ornamentation.

That lantern itself is capped with a roof lantern that, atits highest point, rises 32 metres above the terraces
and 53 above the ground below.

From a perspective of François I’s political and poetic
messaging, the presence of completely unadorned roof
lanterns in locations that were so visible (the tallest afterthe Lantern Tower) and so symbolic (the cardinal points)
would have made no sense and been incoherent withthe rest of the monument.

PRESS KIT - DOMAINE NATIONAL DE CHAMBORD

3

N
 eo-Renaissance decorations on Chambord’s roof lanterns in the late 19th century

Gilded copper weathervane topped withcrowned letter(s) referring to the nameof the tower:
F → François I Tower (north)
CB → Caroline of Berry Tower (east)
H → Henri V Tower (south)
D → Dieudonné Tower (west)
D → Robert of Parma Tower

Copper finial in the formof a fleur de lys atop aball-shaped base

Lead dome adorned at the basewith a ring of alternating fleurs delys and candlesticks made of leadand connected by volutes
Lead frieze alternating
between pilasters andfire-breathing salamanders
surrounded by flames
Lead roses between
the bay arches

Four-sided Corinthiancapitals made of leadon top of oak bases

Drumcoveredwith slate4On the southern tower,
five bells linked to theold clock on the façade
installed by Louis XIV,
whose chimes wererecreated in 2023

Lead balusterand handrail ineach bay

H istorical status of the roof lanterns in the 19th and 20th centuries
During the French Revolution, the Château’s furniture was pillaged, and the building suffered substantial damage thatleft it in a state of great dilapidation: “The lead roofing on the terraces, the lanterns and the turrets had disappeared; rot
had altered the solidity of the magnificent oak framing the attic space.” (Louis-Victor Desbois and his son Victor Desbois,
Chambord: Notice sur les travaux de restauration exécutés au château de 1882 à 1894, Paris, 1894)

1950-1969
1828-1850
1 series of emergency repair
work for safety reasons.
Roof lanterns topped withweathervanes gilded with
the initial for the name of thetower.
stArchitect: Pierre-JeanAlexandre Pinault

2nd series of repair and restoration workon Lantern Tower’s lantern (installation ofsculpted lead décor inspired by the stone
décor at the top of the tower).

3rd series of work following an accidental fire on 7 July 1945that completely destroyed the roofing on Henri V Tower andthe adjacent pavilion. Once the tower’s lantern was rebuilt, theothers were restored according to the same model, removing
the decorations made by Maison Monduit that was installed in
the late 19th century.

Architect: Desbois and son, supervised by
Jules-André Grenouillot, Chief Architect ofHistoric Monuments

Architect: Michel Ranjard, Chief Architect of Historic
Monuments, and Paul Robert-Houdin, the Château’s architect
and curator beginning in 1962

1881-1898

Property of the Count of Chambord until his death in 1883, thenof the Countess of Chambord until her death in 1886, followedby the Princes of Bourbon-Parma, nephews and heirs of theCount of Chambord (Robert, Duke of Parma, and Henri, Countof Bardi).

Property of the State since 1930.

Lead décor by Maison Monduit
The lead ornamentation that was producedin the late 19th century for Chambord’s roof
lanterns was the work of the old Parisianworkshop Maison Monduit Fils. Specializing
in artistic leadwork, the firm worked on many
projects including the spire on Notre-Dame
Cathedral in Paris and the Statue of Liberty.
Three of the four towers on Chambord’s keep
were decorated with lead ornamentation
between 1895 and 1898. The last, the Dieudonné
Tower (the western tower), remained incomplete
following the death of the Duke of Parma,
despite the fact that some of the décor had
been delivered in 1899. Salamanders, columns
and candlesticks sat in their crates, stored in astudy at the Château for over a century.

Lead ornaments left at Chambord after 1898, used as models for recreating its
décor from the late 19th century (from the Château’s collections)

The crates containing the old Monduit
leadwork were finally opened and inventoriedin 2016. Their discovery in perfect condition
made it possible to precisely recreate theoriginal decorations, with the expertise of
the workshop at Loire Ornements.
In 2014, the fleur de lys that had been
intended to top Chambord’s western tower
was identified at the Château de Pierrefonds(donated by the heir to Maison Monduit, Mrs.
Pasquier-Monduit, in 1969).

Workers at Monduit Fils, photographed on a terrace at Chambord in the late
19th century (postcard from the Château’s collections)

PRESS KIT - DOMAINE NATIONAL DE CHAMBORD

56Stephen A. Schwarzman, major donor to Chambord

Domaine national de Chambord extends its thanks to
Stephen A. Schwarzman, a major donor to Chambord, for
his ongoing support. After making a donation in 2017 tofinance the recreation of the Château’s formal gardens,Mr. Schwarzman continues to share his passion for
Domaine national de Chambord.
“Chambord is a national treasure, with significant
importance to the cultural heritage of France, the Frenchpeople as well as the international community.
I’m proud to provide additional support for this restoration
to ensure future generations can enjoy and learn from allthat Chambord has to offer.”

Stephen A. Schwarzman visiting the formal gardens during their restoration, February 2017 © DNC

Biography of Stephen A. Schwarzman
Mr. Schwarzman is Chairman, CEO and Co-Founder of Blackstone, one of
the world’s leading investment firms with $1 trillion in AUM (as of June 30,2023) and businesses in private equity, real estate, hedge funds, credit,infrastructure and life sciences.
In both business and philanthropy, he dedicates himself to tackling bigproblems with transformative solutions. Mr. Schwarzman’s major gifts
include £200 million to help establish a new centre at the University ofOxford to redefine the study of the humanities for the 21st century,$350 million to create a new college at MIT dedicated to the study ofartificial intelligence, $150 million to build a first-of-its-kind student centre at
Yale, and $100 million to renovate and expand the New York Public Library.
He also founded an international fellowship program, Schwarzman Scholars,
at Tsinghua University in Beijing to educate future leaders about China.
At over $575 million, the program is modelled on the Rhodes Scholarship and is the single largest philanthropic effort in China’s history
coming largely from international donors.
In addition to Chambord, Mr. Schwarzman is a patron of the Louvre and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. The Republic of France hasawarded Mr. Schwarzman both the Légion d'Honneur and the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres at the Commandeur level. Mr. Schwarzman is
one of the only Americans to receive both awards recognizing significant contributions to France. He was also awarded the Order of theAztec Eagle, Mexico’s highest honour for foreigners, for his work on behalf of the U.S. in support of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreementin 2018.
Mr. Schwarzman holds a B.A. from Yale University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

PRESS KIT - DOMAINE NATIONAL DE CHAMBORD

7

Roof lantern restoration
projectR einforcement and protection offramework
The need to protect the framework had become urgent,at the risk of it being undermined by water seepage andstability issues. Scaffolding was initially installed to remove
the slate and lead roofing from the lanterns and examine
their state of health. Three of the six roof lanterns werefound to have structural support problems and many
defects in their waterproofing.
The work that was done on them involved repairing skeletal
flaws, namely including repairs to the framing, incorrectly
assembled parts, the straightening and reinforcement ofcentrepieces and the braces needed for their structuralintegrity, the replacement of excessively damaged woodenparts and correction of the waterproofing of the lead andslate roofing.

R e-establishment of decorative unity
An analysis of changes in Chambord’s roofing revealed aseries of several decorative looks featuring imposing finials
at the top and ornamentation at the base of each dome,
in stylistic unity with the stone decorations on the Lantern
Tower and at the corners.
The look before this project was relatively bare comparedto the profusely intricate stonework of the upper sections,which disrupted the monument’s decorative unity. This
was the result of the “minimalist” aesthetic choice thatwas in favour in 1950 when the roofing was rebuilt on theHenri V corner. After being destroyed by a fire in 1945,
it was reconstructed in the very understated style of thefirst half of the 19th century. The François I and Carolineof Berry lanterns were restored next, following the samemodel of removing the ornamentation that had been put
in place in the late 19th century, creating a divergence withthe stone decorations.
The National Heritage and Architecture Commission,
based on a report from the Ministry of Culture, approved
the recreation of the old lead decorations – fleurs de lys,salamanders and candlesticks – and the gilding on theweathervanes in their last known state (from the second
half of the 19th century).

Key figures
6 restored lanterns (the four made of lead on thekeep and two made of slate)
12 metres in height with the weathervane (10.3 mwithout)
15 tonnes (weight of one roof lantern)

8

80 tonnes of scaffolding rising 54 metres in the air
30 people working on the project
Nearly €4 million spent on this restoration project

Archival photo: A team of craftsmen working on the roof lanterns’ restoration in 1904 © J. Andrieu

Launched in 2021 and completed in June 2023, therestoration of the Château’s six roof lanterns, supervised byFrançois Chatillon, Chief Architect of Historic Monuments
since 2004, was carried out as part of a single project.
Aside from occasional repairs, no restoration work had
been performed on the lanterns for more than 50 years.

Contractors and trades
Like an open-air laboratory, the restoration of Chambord’sroof lanterns involved a variety of fantastic tradespeople
who skilfully met the challenge of preserving an assortmentof ancient materials like wood, lead and slate.
Three companies in the Centre-Val de Loire region workedon this project: Guèble (a member of the Villemain Group),
which put up the scaffolding, and Battais-Centre andAteliers Perrault, which restored the framework.

A certified “Living Heritage Company”, Atelier Mariotti
gilded the lanterns’ weathervanes, while Atelier Tollis
worked on the colours for the leaden domes.
The roofing was restored by “groupe UTB”. Two of thelanterns have slate roofing (Chapel Tower and Robert ofParma Tower), while the four on top of the keep featurelead roofing (Dieudonné, François I, Henri V and Carolineof Berry Towers).

The ornamentation work was carried out by Loire
Ornements, whose workshop is located in the Maine-etLoire department. Assisted by Couvertures de Loire, theyreworked and recreated all the lead decorations.

PRESS KIT - DOMAINE NATIONAL DE CHAMBORD

9Reproduction of Chambord’s bells
As a sort of final stage in the restoration of the roof lanterns,
Chambord’s nine bells were installed in Henri V Tower in
September 2023, in the exact location of the old 17th centurybells.
Chambord enlisted the services of Alexandre Gougeon, anindependent bell-maker from the Loir-et-Cher department, tocreate the new bells.

A bit of backgroundIn 1683, King Louis XIV commissioned a clock for the front of
the Château de Chambord from clock-maker Gilles Martinot.
The dial was installed in the central arch on the second floor of
the keep’s southern façade. It was connected to a mechanism
placed in the neighbouring tower (on a level with the terraces)
and to three bells in the roof lantern.
From that point onwards, the keep’s southern tower (nowknown as Henri V Tower) was referred to as the “bell tower” inmany ancient plans and documents.
The system of bells was altered during repairs to the attic
and the lantern of Henri V Tower. Unfortunately, that series ofchimes ringing the hours was partially destroyed or dismantled
after an accidental fire consumed the tower’s attic on 7 July1945.

10

 haracteristics of the nine bellsC
made of bronze (copper and tin)
Note

Weight (kg)Diameter (mm)

C4250

750

E4135600

G480500

C559350

D542310

E531300

F526280

G520250A516235

Detail of the central bell in Chambord’s south tower, pre‑1945, Gonzague
Dreux, negative © Dreux Family Collection

South tower of the castle keep, destroyed by fire on 6 July 1945, around1945-1946, Gonzague Dreux, negative (?) © Dreux Family Collection

The tripod set-up can clearly be seen here, connecting thethree bells and the hammer that strikes the bell’s soundbow on the hour and the quarter hour.

The bell tower was consumed by flames in 1945. All
that remained was part of the superstructure (chimneystacks and dormer windows).

Installation of the bells, Tuesday, 19 September 2023 © Olivier Marchant, Domaine National de Chambord

William Henry Fox Talbot (1800-1877)
Château de Chambord
16 June 1843
Print on salted paper
National Science and Media Museum (UK),
1937-2319/3 (provenance: Matilda Talbot)© Science Museum Collection (London)

This is the oldest known photographof Chambord. The framework ofDieudonné Tower is missing (having
been dismantled to be rebuilt).
The south tower of the castle keep
can be seen here with its bells. The
set-up included two small bells heldside by side by a sort of wooden
arm. Those smaller bells are topped
by a larger one.

PRESS KIT - DOMAINE NATIONAL DE CHAMBORD11France Relance recovery plan
Recovery credits made it possible to launch theproject to restore the six turrets, avoiding the need tostagger the restoration over five years whilst helping
to bolster the heritage sector by conducting a projectof extraordinary scope and quality.
The project was originally supposed to begin with several
phases in 2020, at a pace of one or two lanterns per year.
The first COVID shutdown brought all work on the Château
to a halt for nearly a year. The historic monuments credits
and unspecified credits granted to Domaine Nationalde Chambord by Roselyne Bachelot, French Minister ofCulture, in the name of support under the recovery plan,
enabled the resumption of the entirety of the rest of theproject.
This pooling of funds made it possible to offer heritage firms
and craftspeople the chance to work on a stable project
involving a wide array of trades, after they had suffered
severe financial repercussions due to the various COVID
shutdowns. For some tradesmen (like ornamentalists
and gilders), it is a rare opportunity to gain access to an
operation that provides so much work all at once.

12

Domaine National de Chambord
Domaine National de Chambord, which was created byArticle 230 of the French law of 23 February 2005 on thedevelopment of rural areas, is a publicly owned nationalenterprise. It is under the threefold supervision of theMinistries of Agriculture, Culture and the Environment andunder the full protection of the President of the French
Republic.
Since July 2023, its Board of Trustees has been chairedby Philippe Donnet, CEO of the Generali Group. And sinceJanuary 2023, the Chambord public enterprise has been
led by Pierre Dubreuil.

Its statutory decree no. 2005-703 of 24 June 2005
assigned it a number of key functions:• Preserving, inventorying, protecting, restoring, enriching
on behalf of the State, promoting and presenting to thepublic buildings and furnishings comprising Domaine
National de Chambord• Welcoming the broadest possible audience, by any
appropriate means, to the Château and property under
its responsibility, increasing visitor numbers to theChâteau and the property, spreading the reputation ofthe Château, the property and their collections, designingand implementing educational and dissemination actions
that aim to ensure equal access to culture for all• Contributing to the enrichment of France’s nationalcollections by acquiring cultural assets on behalf of theState, either for free or for a price• Performing scientific studies of the buildings’
architecture, the collections, the gardens, the forest, thewildlife and the hunting at Chambord• Overseeing the State-owned forest property allocatedto it, with an objective of achieving its sustainable
development• Managing hunting on the property with an eye tomaintaining balance between forestry and wildlife and topreserving biodiversity• Participating, within the scope of its purview, in nationaland international efforts to preserve architectural andmonumental heritage, as well as forests and wildlife.
In accordance with its areas of expertise as definedby Article 230 of the aforementioned French law of23 February 2005, it may exercise any activities that arerelated or complementary to its main functions.

PRESS KIT - DOMAINE NATIONAL DE CHAMBORD

13

41250 Chambord
FranceCHAMBORD.ORG

United Nations
Educational, Scientific andCultural Organization

14

The Loire Valley between
Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes
Inscribed on the World Heritage
List in 2000

Copy and graphic design © Domaine National de Chambord. Photos: © Olivier Marchant, Domaine National de Chambord - Léonard de Serres - Antoine Mercusot, Sophie LloydDOMAINE NATIONAL DE CHAMBORD