Exhibition "Chambord, 1519-2019: utopia at work", in the national domain of Chambord

To celebrate its 500th anniversary, the Chambord National Estate is organizing an exceptional exhibition! "Chambord, 1519-2019: utopia at work", taking place from May 26 to September 1, 2019, is an exhibition that's both retrospective and prospective to discover the treasures of this castle of the Loire, a true jewel of the Renaissance.

A majestic anniversary is being prepared in Chambord, in the Val de Loire. No less than nine projects are being organized in 2019 to celebrate this symbol of excitement and greatness that represents the national domain of Chambord. Between restoration and conservation projects, the creation of a vegetable garden or the castle illuminations, Chambord is giving itself rejuvenation for its half-millennium birthday present!

The Chambord castle presented in its historical context

At the heart of these innovations, the exhibition “Chambord, 1519-2019: Utopia at work” takes on its full meaning. The tour, located on the second floor of the castle, explores the construction of the UNESCO World Heritage Monument, designated such in 1981. It's the perfect occasion for visitors to live the architecture and construction of the Chambord castle in the intellectual, political and artistic context of the Renaissance.

On 2,000m² (21528 ft²) of exhibition, visitors can admire some 150 works. Among these treasures include illuminated manuscripts from the 9th century to 16th century, as well as rare books, drawings, paintings, models and art objects, including three original leaflets from the Codex Atlanticus of Leonardo da Vinci.

All these works are borrowed from 34 prestigious international institutions, including the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, the Musée du Louvre, the Galerie des Offices, the British Museum, the Bibliothèque de Florence, the Musée de l'Armée and the Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan.

In 2019, the national domain of Chambord explores its contemporary dimension

The originality of this extraordinary exhibition lies in the presentation of 18 prospective projects designed by architectural laboratories of the world’s largest universities. During the exhibition, visitors will be able to discover the works and the futuristic vision of these laboratories, mobilized to design a reinvented Chambord.

Thanks to numerous digital mediation devices (touch screens, videos, digital models, etc.) each visitor will be able to explore in detail the secrets of Quattrocento France through the work of Leonardo da Vinci and lift the curtain on the mysteries of the Chambord castle, like the famous double-revolution staircase.

Practical
info 

41250 Chambord
From May 26 to September 1 2019
From €12 to €14,50
Free for children and those under 26
Access includes visit of the castle and gardens

Getting to the national domain of Chambord in Val de Loire