Le voyage de la pierre (The Journey of the Stone)

500 years ago, on 6 September 1519, King Francis I appointed François de Pontbriand to superintend building work at Chambord Castle. Construction had now officially begun!  

The National Estate of Chambord decided to showcase a spectacular event, entitled “The Journey of the Stone”, to commemorate this symbolic anniversary.  

During this regional festival, 60 institutions, associations and groups of enthusiasts will come together to celebrate the 500th anniversary of one of the most impressive Renaissance constructions, as well as the history and heritage of the Loire Valley.  

Five Loire boatmen’s associations (La Rabouilleuse - École de Loire, Boutavant, MillièreRaboton, the Loire Observatory and Les Marins du Port de Chambord) from the Tours area will retrace the historic journey of the tuffeau stone used to build the castle in the 16th century. 

The stages and highlights of the journey

Tours – 1 September – Port de la guinguette

• Trips accompanied by the Boutavant and La Rabouilleuse boatmen
• Introduction and discussions based on the web series “Portraits of the Loire in the Renaissance”, presented by Mission Val de Loire
• Educational games and experiments based on the construction site and the materials used to build Chambord Castle, presented by the National Estate of Chambord and the ARD (Ambition Research and Development) Intelligence des patrimones (Heritage Intelligence) programme
• Renaissance Ball with the Compagnie Outre Mesure and the Tours Conservatoire

Amboise – 3 September – Port and town centre

• Heritage tour of the historic centre of this “castle town”,  presented by the Loire-Touraine region / Ville & Pays d’art et d’histoire (City & Region of Art and History)
• Arrival of the boats
• An introduction to net fishing, by Philippe Boisneau and Nicolas Bonnet

Chargé – 4 September –Verdeau Campsite

• Arrival of the boats

Chaumont-sur-Loire – 4 September – Port and Village

• Outings in the village and on the river Loire
• “Franchir la Loire” (“Crossing the Loire”), an exhibition presented by Mission Val de Loire
• Arrival of the boats and welcoming the stone
• A “pedestrian voyage” between Chaumont-sur-Loire and Blois

Blois – 5 September – Port de la Creusille

• Activities for schoolchildren, in conjunction with the Loire Observatory, Mission Val de Loire, the National Estate of Chambord and the royal castle of Blois
• Arrival of the boats
• Entertainment for the general public, based on local heritage and know-how
• The Loire boatmen’s treasure hunt

Saint-Dyé-sur-Loire – 6 September – Port and village

• Entertainment based on local heritage and know-how, in a village decorated in the colours of the Renaissance
• Boat trips
• Introduction and discussions based on the web series “Portraits of the Loire in the Renaissance”, presented by Mission Val de Loire
• Grand march to escort the stone from Saint-Dyé-sur-Loire to Chambord

Chambord – 6 September

• Anniversary evening: arrival of the stone, closing ceremony, concert and fireworks

Due to the drought, the Centre-Val-de-Loire Regional Council has decided to cancel all five performances of this concert.  

For further information: http://www.regioncentre-valdeloire.fr/accueil.html 

Find all the information and details of the programme: https://www.chambord.org/500-ans/voyage-de-la-pierre-sur-la-loire