Page:A history of architecture on the comparative method for the student, craftsman, and amateur.djvu/558

 500 COMPARATIVE ARCHITECTURE. ITALIAN RENAISSANCE. FRENCH RENAISSANCE. The country houses of the nobles The chateaux on the Loire are in the Venetian territory, in the irregular Gothic castles, with a style of Palladio, are synunetrical coating of Renaissance detail and stately, with no traces of (Nos. 220 and 221) over features Gothic influence (No. 216 d, e, f). essentially Gothic. 3. EXAMPLES. SECULAR ARCHITECTURE. The Chateau de Blois (a.d. 1508), erected by Louis XII. and Francis I., is one of the more important examples (No. 219). The pilaster treatment of the fa9ade, the mullioned windows showing the preference for the square section of mullion, and the rich crowning cornice and carved roof dormers, are notable. The shell ornament, introduced from Venice, was largely employed. In the famous ^^ Staircase Tower'' by Francis I. (a.d. 1515-1547), the letter F decoratively formed among the carved balusters, and vaulting bosses, and the repetition of the carving of the salamander, the emblem of Francis I., are interesting (No. 219). A Scottish version (minus the staircase) is to be seen in Fettes College, Edinburgh The Chateau de Bury (a.d. 1520) (No. 220 a, b), near Blois, is a typical example and may be compared with a Typical English plan (Nos. 131 and 244). It consists of a large square court, in front of which is a screen wall, solid externally, but with a colonnade facing the court. The entrance is in the centre of this wall, and is provided with a porte- cochere, or carriage entrance. The screen wall is Hanked by towers, circular externally, and square internally, and attached to these, forming two sides of the court, are long wings containing the servants' apartments on one side, and offices and stabling on the other. These are connected at the further end of the court with the main building (Co r/s de logis) in which the family resided, and which contained the reception rooms. Behind this main building was the garden, and in the centre of one side was placed the chapel. Each of the side wings to the court is one story lower than the main building, which contained the family apartments, as mentioned above. The above description applies equally to French town houses, up to the present day, with slight modifications dependent on site and local necessities. In French country houses the windows face on to an internal courtyard, as in the ancient Roman atrium (the courtyard corresponding to the atrium), whereas in English country houses after the time of Henry VII. the windows all face outwards, a courtyard being an exception (No, 131). The Chateau de Chambord (a.d. 1526) (Nos. 220 c, d, and 221), by Pierre Nepveu is one of the most famous erected in the