Examine
carefully this construction.....
The castle of Azay le Rideau embodies the medieval traditions and the italian classicism in itself.
This is a moated castle that preserves the traditional
defensive architecture.(turrets, covered-way,
machicolations, crenels, blockhouses, moats...).
The main innovation of Azay consists in the creation
of his straight stairs.
These stairs were inspired by the italian style that is
to say
that banisters are parallel to eachother.
At the time it had a new shape ;
the stairwell had an openwork design and overlooked the
yard and the outside.
Each level corresponds to half a floor.
This part of the building concentrates most sculptures
of the castle (engaged columns, pilasters, entablatures,
scallops, medallions).
.
THE SKYLIGHTS
The Salamander and the Ermine that are sculpted
are the symbols of François 1 and the Queen Claude.
THE PILASTERS
They were inspired by the antiquity.
THE CEILING WITH CAISSONS
The staircase is covered with a pitching ceiling of caissons
(roses and antiquity medalllions).
THE FRONT
It represents the symmetry by the row of the stairs.
It's surrounded with horizontal moulding