Château de Chambord

The Royal Château de Chambord is one of the most recognizable châteaux in France and in the world for its distinctively French Renaissance architecture, that blends the traditional french medieval forms with the classical Italian ones. The original design of the castle was by Domenico da Cortona, but this design was altered in several ways during its 20 years of construction, and it is believed that Leonardo da Vinci himself had been involved in the design when he was a guest of King François at Clos Lucé. Chambord is also the largest castle in Loire Valley.