Archaeological excavations of the lost 'Persé' staircase at the royal château of Amboise
The vanished staircase of Amboise may predate Chambord’s
Since January 2026, archaeologists have been excavating the remains of the 'Persé' staircase at Amboise Castle, destroyed in the 18th century. It may have inspired a double-helix structure twenty years before Chambord.
Editorial journal · Carte des Châteaux ·
Beneath the terraces of the royal château of Amboise, eight researchers from the archaeological service of Indre-et-Loire and the University of Tours have been digging since January 2026 in search of a staircase lost for more than two centuries. Standing some twenty metres high and adorned with flamboyant Gothic decoration, the so-called 'Persé' staircase was built between 1492 and 1498 under Charles VIII, before being demolished in the 18th century. If confirmed, one hypothesis could revolutionise the chronology of Renaissance architecture in France: this staircase may have featured a double helix, nearly twenty years before the famous one at Chambord Castle.
.JPG)
Read next
.JPG)
Sources