"There is an urgent situation": the François I wing of the Château de Chambord is in peril

In this wing, fitted out from 1539 to house the private apartments and council chamber of Francis I, no visitors have been able to enter since 2019.

The educational modules on the first floor intended for schoolchildren are still in place, but the walls cracked by fissures and the rubble on the floor have made access impossible, given the imminent risk.

"There is an urgent need to act quickly before this wing collapses," Pierre Dubreuil, director general of the Chambord national estate, told AFP.

Although, from the outside, the general condition of this building located on the right side of the castle appears satisfactory, a "global structural problem" exists inside, indicates the chief architect of historical monuments, Maël de Quelen.

And these multifactorial problems are not new: back in 2003, visitors had already nearly fallen through the floor of the second floor.

Climate deregulation

"A historical monument like this one wears out and deteriorates over time" and renovations, she contextualizes, mentioning various problems, from the facade walls to the framework, which have created a gap of about fifteen centimeters between the base and the top of the facade.

Climate change has also aggravated the phenomenon: floods, more frequent and more intense, as was the case in 2016, have the effect of "washing away the foundations" and weakening them, explains Ms. de Quelen.

To address the most urgent needs, supports were placed in each door frame over time, but safety measures became "essential to preserving the integrity of the castle".

An "extraordinary" project estimated at 37 million euros for this Renaissance jewel, visited by 1,2 million people each year.

"We have already raised 12 million euros for a first phase of consolidation" planned from 2027, explains Mr. Dubreuil.

The sum was raised thanks to a grant from the Ministry of Culture, but also through an appeal for donations launched to visitors, who were invited to contribute via the "Chambord needs you" campaign, illustrated by the portrait of François I adorned with a tear of blood, and displayed at the entrances to the site.

"World Heritage"

The goal, explains Pierre Dubreuil, is to raise public awareness of the need to carry out these interventions.

The fundraising campaign has raised nearly 500.000 euros since its launch in September, and a provision in the 2026 Finance Act aims to enhance this momentum with the public: a tax measure similar to that applied for the renovation of Notre-Dame de Paris increases the tax reduction to 75% for donations to the project.

An "exceptional" but welcome measure for Chambord, which is trying to diversify its funding sources. The estate indicates that it is considering appealing to patrons and also specifies that it will contribute a portion of the funding from its own resources.

"Chambord is an emblem of national and world heritage, and that speaks to the French," says Mr. Dubreuil, convinced that "in a world of uncertainties, people seek to rediscover the roots of their history and heritage."

A second phase of the project, dedicated to the restoration of the facades and roofs, with the aim of making the site accessible to people with reduced mobility, is also planned.

If the operation is successful, the public will be able to visit the François I wing again in 2032.