Historical Study of Chambord Castle: Basis for Establishing the Monument Health Record

The conservation of built heritage requires a good knowledge of the materials and the history of the monument in question. One objective of the SACRE Project (Suivi des Alterations, Conservation et Restauration des Monuments en Pierres Calcaires [Degradation Monitoring, Characterization and Restoration of Limestone Monuments]) is to establish the health record of a monument. Chambord Castle was built out of tuffeau limestone in 1519. This limestone, which comes from the Loire Valley, is extremely fragile, causing spalling and exfoliation to occur on the surface of the stone. The south facadethe entrance to the Castle—and the east tower are studied. The mapping of the different origins and dates of the stones forms the basis of the health record of the Castle. The comparison between this mapping and the location of damages on the facades shows different type and degree of degradation concerning tuffeau. The topography and the orientation of the building are also significant parameters that contribute to th...