Double helix staircase, Chateau de Chambord, Loire Valley

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 No

13818687

Media ID

45422561

Size

7087px x 4724px (7.2MB)

Credit

Manuel Cohen / Mary Evans Picture Library

Source

Photograph by Manuel Cohen

Date

2009