FRENCH RENAISSANCE Geographical : France was united with its capital at Paris lead to the spread of Renaissance to all the parts of France. Due to the proximity of France from Italy, it took 50 years for Renaissance to spread. Religious : As the number of gothic churches was adequate for population only few churches were built in 15th CE. Later in 16th CE under Jesuit orders churches were built for preaching to large congregations. Social : The eminence in art and literature in Paris lead to the adoption of a national architectural style that emanated from the Parisian schools. Louis XIV was a great patron of the later renaissance in France & the palaces of Louvre and Versailles are monuments to his lavish expenditure on architecture & the decorative arts. Historical : The main factor that resulted in the unification of France was the expulsion of the English in 1453 by Joan of Arc. The new national feeling gave great impetus to architecture & resulted in the building of many fine monuments. Geological : Paris is considered to be the city of stone and building materials were available in abundance. Climatic: Dissimilar to Italy, the climatic conditions had lead to large windows, high pitched roof, and lofty chimneys. ⦁French Renaissance is divided into three periods Early Renaissance (Late 15th century) The special character of the transitional phase was that gothic and Renaissance features were combined to form interesting compositions. Eg. Chateau de Chambord II. Classical period (End 16th to Early 17th century) Free use of the orders & profuse ornamentation of the interiors carried out in stucco & paper mache. Eg. The Louvre palace. The Baroque style in France started with Louis XIV is remarkable for its freedom of treatment in interiors & grand scale. III. Late Period (18th century) Rococo style of decoration. This style is distinguished by its use of mirrors, gilded & frescoed ceiling and large planned gardens. Eg. The Palace of Versailles ROCOCO STYLE The Rococo style began in France in the 1730s as a reaction against the more formal and geometric Louis XIV style. Rococo or Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and theatrical style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colors, sculpted molding, and trompe-l’oeil frescoes to create surprise and the illusion of motion and drama. It is often described as the final expression of the Baroque movement.

1. FRENCH RENAISSANCE ARCHITECTURE Ar. Angel Roselin
Assistant Professor

2. FRENCH RENAISSANCE ARCHITECTURE
Geographical : France was united with its capital at Paris lead to the spread of Renaissance to all
the parts of France. Due to the proximity of France from Italy, it took 50 years for Renaissance to
spread.
Religious : As the number of gothic churches was adequate for population only few churches
were built in 15th CE. Later in 16th CE under Jesuit orders churches were built for preaching to
large congregations.
Social : The eminence in art and literature in Paris lead to the adoption of a national architectural
style that emanated from the Parisian schools. Louis XIV was a great patron of the later
renaissance in France & the palaces of Louvre and Versailles are monuments to his lavish
expenditure on architecture & the decorative arts.
Historical : The main factor that resulted in the unification of France was the expulsion of the
English in 1453 by Joan of Arc. The new national feeling gave great impetus to architecture &
resulted in the building of many fine monuments.
Geological : Paris is considered to be the city of stone and building materials were available in
abundance.
Climatic: Dissimilar to Italy, the climatic conditions had lead to large windows, high pitched
roof, and lofty chimneys.
15th – 18th CE.

3. PHASES IN FRENCH RENAISSANCE ARCHITECTURE
⦁French Renaissance is divided into three periods
I. Early Renaissance (Late 15th century)
The special character of the transitional phase was that gothic and Renaissance features were
combined to form interesting compositions.
Eg. Chateau de Chambord
II. Classical period (End 16th to Early 17th century)
Free use of the orders & profuse ornamentation of the interiors carried out in stucco & paper
mache.
Eg. The Louvre palace.
The Baroque style in France started with Louis XIV is remarkable for its freedom of treatment in
interiors & grand scale.
III. Late Period (18th century)
Rococo style of decoration. This style is distinguished by its use of mirrors, gilded & frescoed
ceiling and large planned gardens.
Eg. The Palace of Versailles

4. Chateau de Chambord
The Louvre Palace, Paris
ROCOCO PERIOD
18th CE
EARLY PERIOD
Late 15th CE
CLASSICAL PERIOD
16th- 17th CE
The Palace of Versailles

5. EARLY RENAISSANCE : CHATEAU DE CHAMBORD
1591-1547

6. CHATEAU DE CHAMBORD
• Chateau de Chambord is the largest
castle in the Loire valley designed by
Pierre Nepveu.
• It was built as a hunting lodge for King
Francois I. When king Francois I
commissioned the construction of the
chateau, he wanted it to look like the
skyline of Constantinople.
• The castle is surrounded by 13000
acres of wooded park & game reserve,
enclosed by a 20 mile length wall.
• This massive castle is composed of a
central keep with 4 bastions towers at
the corners.
1591-1547

7. CHATEAU DE CHAMBORD
Plan:
• The castle protects the palace on three sides,
whereas a moat protects it on the fourth side.
• Plan is unusual and comprises of 2 rectangles
one within another. The inner block known as the
“Donjon” is about 220‟ square & is similar to the
keep of an English castle.
• The chateau has 440 rooms 365 fireplaces & 84
staircases. It was never intended to provide any
form of defense from enemies – the walls, towers,
the partial moat are purely decorative.
• Many elements such as the loggia, the open
space at the top were borrowed from the Italian
renaissance style & do not suit the colder climate
of France.
1591-1547
Donjon
220’’
square
Double
helical
stair

8. CHATEAU DE CHAMBORD
Facade:
• The roofscape of Chambord has often been compared to the skyline of a town. It shows 11
kind of towers & 3 types of chimneys, framed at the corners by massive towers.
• The high pitched roof with ornate dormer windows & lofty chimneys combine to produce a
vertical gothic effect, but with renaissance detailing.
1591-1547
Conical roof
Dormer window
Spire

9. CHATEAU DE CHAMBORD
Ornamentation: Helical staircase
• It has 4 lofty halls in each floor finished
by elliptical barrel vaulting. At the
junction is the famous double helix
staircase.
• It is claimed that this double helical
staircase was conceived by Leonardo da
Vinci.
• The two helixes ascend the 3 floors
without ever meeting & they are
illuminated from above by a sort of light
house at the highest point of the castle.
• This double helix staircase by which
people can ascend & descend
simultaneously without seeing each
other is built up in a cage of stone &
crowned with a lantern.
1591-1547

10. CLASSICAL RENAISSANCE : THE LOUVRE PALACE, PARIS
1546 -1878 AD

11. THE LOUVRE PALACE, PARIS
• The Louvre palace, Paris presently
accommodates the Louvre museum
which is the largest, most visited &
famous museum in the world.
• It occupies an area of 45 acres & was
constructed by many kings from 1546 to
1878 AD. Hence it exhibits the
progressive stages of the French
renaissance architecture built in
successive periods.
• Pierre Lescot was the first architect,
commenced work in 1540, under Italian
influence after the demolition of the
castle existing on the site.
1546 -1878 AD

12. THE LOUVRE PALACE, PARIS
Plan:
• General design of the Louvre was intended to cover the ground of the fortified Gothic
palace which it replaced.
• Its a classical building organized around a square courtyard.
• It has a distinctive double-pitched mansard roof.
1546 -1878 AD

13. THE LOUVRE PALACE, PARIS
• Henri IV (A.D. 1589-1610) - a new gallery
erected. The lower order is of Corinthian, the
upper of Composite Pilasters.
• Corinthian columns run through two stories
• Entablature was pierced for admission of
windows
• Louis XIII (A.D.1610-1643)- The building
was doubled in size
• Louis XIV (1688) - Added the eastern
facade,600 feet in length, an open
colonnade of coupled Corinthian columns.
And stories were added on the north and
south sides.
• Napoleon III (1852-1857) – finished by the
addition of N & S Facades
Watch : https://youtu.be/JkPcA8dngB4

14. THE LOUVRE PALACE, PARIS
Facade:
• Today, the palace is a museum which holds
statues, paintings and artefacts including the
Mona Lisa.
• Other features are triangular pediments, the
dormer chimneys can be seen in the roof.
• The roof of the end pavilion (Turgot) is in the
form of a truncated pyramid
Mansard or mansard roof (also called a French roof
or curb roof) is a four-sided gambrel-style hip roof
characterized by two slopes on each of its sides with
the lower slope, punctured by dormer windows, at a
steeper angle than the upper.

15. ROCOCO STYLE
• The Rococo style began in France in
the 1730s as a reaction against the
more formal and geometric Louis XIV
style.
• Rococo or Late Baroque, is an
exceptionally ornamental and
theatrical style of architecture, art and
decoration which combines
asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding,
white and pastel colors, sculpted
molding, and trompe-l’oeil frescoes to
create surprise and the illusion of
motion and drama. It is often
described as the final expression of
the Baroque movement.
18th CE

16. ROCOCO: PALACE OF VERSAILLES
18th CE

17. PALACE OF VERSAILLES
• Watch: https://youtu.be/X235vpOToVU
• Remarkable for the uniformity and tameness of its design.
• The dimensions are very large, the central projection measuring 320 feet and each wing 500 feet
thus giving a total of 1,320 feet.
• The building was placed in beautiful garden.

18. PALACE OF VERSAILLES
Interior:
• It is where even furniture was designed in harmony with the interior décor of the room.
• This lavish style is distinguished by its use of mirrors, gilded & frescoed ceiling and large
planned gardens.