Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1916-09-22

that the Chateau de CnamDoIu
had been sequestered by the
- French government, which was
a polite way of saying that 1t had
been taken over by the ruling powers,
and would be devoted to whatever use
1t was seen fit to make Of it.
This announcement was of interest
TO thousands of American tourists who
may have been privileged to visit the
celebrated castle in their ramblings TO
the south of Paris, in the department
of Loir-et-C -Cher-for the chateau Is
situated about twelve miles to the east
of Blois, the principal city of that de-
partment, in the midst OF park Il
miles in circumference.
The sequestering of the Chateau de
Chambord marked the transition OF
one of the most interesting structures
that date back to the renaissance In
France. "Francis' Folly" someone has
dubbed the great rambling pile of ma
sonry whose spires reach heavenward,
and to whose lines architects and ar
fists have in vain tried to attribute
some semblance Of gr;fce.
But whatever architectural defects
the chateau may present, there is no
doubt that it is one of the most notable
edifices of its kind in Europe, marking
as it does the transition between the
fortified castle and the Italian palace,
somebody has said with all the defects
of both generously Incorporated.
The Chateau de Chambord was built
at time when money was of little ac-
count to the ruling classes If there was
a whim to be gratified. 1t dates back
! to the fourteenth century. Under the
counts of Blois 1t was q feudal manor
house. The Orleans princes converted
it into a sort Of hunting lodge, and 1t
was such when Francis / decided to
make of it the largest and most mag
nificent chateau In France.
Francis 1 did not believe in doing
things by halves. 1t was habit OF
his to wander about from chateau to
chateau, of which he had consider
able string, with 1,S00 people forming
his retinue, with furniture and bag
gage in proportion. 1t must have beer
bit annoying to the restless anC
high-spsrited king to have members OF
his personal staff getting close enough
so that they could recognize each other
AS near as can be figured out, this wa.
the excuse for ChaInbord, for in 1t!
vast halls 1,SOO people would rattle
around like shot in a gourd, and all th'
paraphernalia that accompanied thes'
frequent hikes could be deposited II
one room and leave plenty Of space
for a sNodly portion of the attendant
to devote themselves to terpsichoreal
pastimes.
Beginning of chambord.
The foundations of Chambord wer
laid in 1926, but 1t was not until som
time later that it began to stand fort
in its true proportions. When Franci
I died at Rambouillet in 1547 Cham
bord was still incomplete, although 80
men had labored on it for u year:
| But enough of the more than 400 room
had been finished, so that the roya
| encourage could be housed here in CON
| fort, while the presence of such
| number of persons, and the attendan
| gayety, alone made the place endul
/ able as q human habitation.
Henry ii continued the work on tn
chateau in an Indifferent manne
Charles TX and Louis XIV in turn too
n hand at ii, the latter appearing
the role of chief tinkerer to the II
| artistic, and erecting the low scree
| Mt the back which completes the il
closure of the court and adds to Il
| lncongruity Of the whole place.
| The death of its planner did NJ
| mark the passing Of high life fro