Exhibition from September 26th, 2026 to January 24th, 2027
Domaine national de Chambord, France
This exceptional exhibition retraces the château’s rich gastronomic history, from the 16th century to the present day, through four major feasts that shaped its political, diplomatic and cultural life. From the supper given in honor of Emperor Charles Quint in 1539 to the gala dinner offered to The Prince and Princess of Wales in 1988, visitors will discover four tables reimagined or reconstructed thanks to more than 600 original works, hyper-realistic reproductions, as well as sound and olfactory installations. The exhibition brings to life objects from the Renaissance and the Grand Siècle, created from drawings of silverware that has disappeared or remained in the form of projects. 3D modelling, 3D printing and surface treatments to achieve the most authentic rendering possible : this experimental approach draws on cutting-edge French technologies.
BRINGING BACK TO LIFE FOUR HISTORIC MEALS THAT MARKED THE LIFE OF CHAMBORD
The exhibition “Banquets and Feasts at Chambord” invites visitors not only to understand not only to understand culinary practices from the 16th to the 20th century, but to feel and hear them. The centerpieces of the exhibition are four tables reconstructed on the second floor of the keep, beneath sculpted vaults, each corresponding to a key period in Chambord’s history. Each table is accompanied by works of art, archival documents and interpretive devices that provide context for the meals, table customs and culinary practices specific to each era.
The first table evokes a supper given in 1539 on the occasion of the visit of King François I and Holy Roman Emperor Charles Quint. It presents Renaissance table customs, a spectacular setting for the service of the “rôts”, and pieces of royal goldsmiths’ work: ewers, cups, ships, saltcellars and candlesticks designed by Léonard Thiry, then engraved by René Boyvin around 1540-1560.
The second table is devoted to a dinner for thirty place settings organized in 1685 during the last stay of Louis XIV at Chambord. It is based on an original drawing of the seating plan, annotated by the prince de Condé and preserved at the Bibliotheque nationale de France. This reconstruction illustrates 17m-century service à la française, at the moment of the entrées and soups on a fast day, and features precious tableware used at the court of Louis XIV at Versailles.
The third table immerses visitors in the visits of Maréchal Maurice de Saxe at Chambord in the mid-18th century. The soldier received the château from Louis XV in 1745 as a reward for his exploits. This section highlights changing dietary habits and the arrival of new exotic imports such as coffee, tea and chocolate, through the reconstruction of a table devoted to “new after-dinner drinks”. The reconstruction of this “coffee room” is made possible by the presentation of the tea and chocolate set in Meissen porcelain offered to Queen Marie Leszczynska-an exceptional loan from the Musée national des châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon.
The final table focuses on the republican yet sumptuous gala dinner held on November 9th, 1988 in honour of the Prince and Princess of Wales. It bears witness to 20th-century customs, service à la russe, and Chambord’s role in contemporary diplomatic life. The head table is recreated with the greatest accuracy thanks to loans from the Palais de l’Élysée and the Mobilier national: a carpet and screen from the Manufacture de la Savonnerie, Sèvres porcelain plates, Baccarat crystal glasses, a Christofle silver centrepiece, and more.
Around the tables, Chambord presents part of its collections linked to dining and offers a more intimate history of the château. Approximately one hundred works are brought together under four themes: food remains and fragments of tableware uncovered during archaeological excavations; menus and tableware from presidential hunts; the service and silverware of the princes de Bourbon-Parme; and more.
“A place of living, power and representation through the centuries, an emblem of the Renaissance and of the French art de vivre, Chambord provides a particularly fitting setting for an immersion in the history of table arts and gastronomy. The Domaine national de Chambord is honored to join forces with the Institut Européen d’Histoire et des Cultures de l’Alimentation for this first heritage exhibition presented at the château since 2019. We would also like to thank all lenders, partners and members of the scient for their engagement in creating this exhibition. Through the trust they place in us and the exceptional quality of the works and collections made available, they contribute fully to making this exhibition a highlight of Chambord’s cultural programme.”
—Pierre Dubreuil, CEO of the Domaine national de Chambord
For the first time in France, an exhibition brings to life objects that have disappeared or remained at the stage of projects or drawings!
A total of 183 pieces of goldsmiths’ work were created specifically to stage the 16th- and 17th-century tables, through an exacting research and development process. The teams at ARISTEAS-specialists in 3D modelling for architecture and heritage-recreate everyday tableware, serving dishes and ceremonial pieces based on drawings from the Renaissance and the reign of Louis XIV, as well as a number of original works preserved in museums. Their work relies on the expertise of a scientific committee, meticulous iconographic analysis, and an experimental method of modelling and 3D printing. The finished objects achieve an ultra-realistic appearance, with metal tones consistent with the uses and techniques of the period and with the presumed marks of the goldsmith’s hand.
The tea and chocolate set of Marie Leszczynska, Manufacture de Meissen, c. 1737 – 18th century
This painted and gilded porcelain set, preserved at the Musée national des châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon, is presented as part of the reconstruction of Maréchal Maurice de Saxe’s “coffee room” and illustrates the introduction and spread of so-called “new” beverages (coffee, tea, chocolate) in the 18th century. In December 1737, Maurice de Saxe offered Queen Marie Leszczynska this sumptuous Meissen tea and chocolate service on behalf of Frédéric-Auguste II, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland under the name Auguste Ill-making it one of the most famous diplomatic gifts of 18th-century Europe.
Chambord has inspired admiration and fascination throughout the world for more than 500 years. Listed among France’s very first Monuments historiques in 1840 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981, it is one of the most astonishing Renaissance constructions and the largest walled park in Europe, covering 5,440 hectares (13,442.53 acres). The second most visited château in France, Chambord welcomes over one million visitors every year.
State-owned since 1930, the Domaine national de Chambord is a public industrial and commercial establishment under the supervision of the ministries responsible for Culture, Agriculture and the Environment, and under the high protection of the Président de la République. The establishment incorporated the Grand Parc de Rambouillet by decree of the Conseil d’Etat on June 1st, 2018. The Board of Directors is chaired by Philippe Donnet. Since January 2023, the public establishment has been led by Pierre Dubreuil.
Cover photo: Domaine national de Chambord Château © Sophie Lloyd
