Castle of Chambord: Harmony, Strength and Elegance

by Plinio Correa de Oliveira

What a wonderful collection of towers! How much strength and solidity!  At the same time, the castle as a whole produces a feeling of harmony and elegance.  Those noble, blue slate roofs harmoniously descend to meet the top of the stone walls.

Castle of Chambord:  A breathtaking product of Christian Civilization.

There is something vigorous about the castle’s stone foundation.  They seem to say: “Whoever wants to tear me down will fail, and whoever wants to dig up my foundation will have to knock the world off its own orbit, because I am a tower of the Castle of Chambord and nobody will destroy me.”
What mysterious harmony between strength and elegance; between the planned and apparent spontaneous placement of the castle’s towers! It is beautiful to see antithetical qualities together.
Why do harmonic opposite qualities offer something beautiful when they appear together?  Because one of the principles of beauty is unity in variety, which is the best image of God in creation and expresses the perfection God put in the universe. Therefore, harmonic contrast must be one of the traits of the human soul. Thus, the human spirit tends to contemplate unity in variety.

Aerial view of the castle-palace.

In this castle, there is unity in variety. Beholding it, my soul rests while ascending to God.  What beauty, elegance, distinction, nobility, grandeur, and refinement! Such beauty has never been achieved except in Christian civilization! O, my Lord Jesus Christ, how fruitful is Thy precious blood, for, fifteen hundred years after Thy death, this enchanting flower is born and blossoms.  My Lord, Thou art the fount of all grace, glory and beauty.  I adore Thee!

VIDEO -- Castle of Chambord harmony, strength and elegance

Editor’s note: Built by Francis I in 1519, Chambord is one of the famous castles along the Loire; one of the finest works of French Renaissance architecture.  This commentary is based on a talk given by Prof. Plinio Correa de Oliveira on July 10, 1972, published without the author’s revision.

Château de Chambord, France: Louis XIV ceremonial bedroom.