Double helix staircase, Chateau de Chambord

Double helix staircase seen from the second floor, with the stone coffered vaulted ceiling of the cross room, in the Chateau de Chambord, designed by Domenico da Cortona and built 1519-47 in French Renaissance style under King Francois I, at Chambord, Loir-et-Cher, France. The open staircase is at the centre of the chateau with 2 helices rising over 3 floors without meeting and is lit from above by a 32m high roof lantern. The staircase is rumoured to have been designed by Leonardo da Vinci. The largest of the Loire Valley chateaux, Chambord has a central keep with 4 bastion towers on the corners, a moat and an elaborate decorative roofline. The chateau is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Picture by Manuel Cohen

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1519-47 1519-74 Bastion Centre-val Chambord Chateaux Coffered Corners Cortona Domenico Domingo Elaborate Floors Helices Helix Initial Loir-et-cher Moat Monogram Roofline Rumoured Salamander Vaulted Vinci

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