How to build French Château in Minecraft

A Renaissance château from the Loire valley, standing in its own moat. The white stone corps de logis has three storeys of mullioned windows under a steep slate roof crowded with tall carved dormers, gold-tipped finials and chimney stacks, and two wings wrap a cour d'honneur. Six round towers with pointed slate spires rise straight out of the water and the corners, and a central stair tower ends in an open lantern and the tallest spire of all. A three-arched stone bridge crosses the moat from a formal French parterre: box hedges clipped into scrolls and rings, coloured gravels, cone topiaries, orange trees in white planters and a round fountain. Inside: a triple-height grand staircase hall with an imperial stair, fleur-de-lis tapestries and a chandelier, a two-storey library with a gallery, and a dining salon.

Open the interactive 3D plan above to build it one layer at a time: every layer has a numbered top-down plan, a block list and full-screen step-by-step instructions you can tick off as you go. You can also download it for Litematica, WorldEdit or Minecraft Bedrock, or view it in your room in AR.

Materials list

BlockAmountStacks
Smooth Quartz Block4,10264 stacks + 6
Grass Block2,54439 stacks + 48
Deepslate Tiles2,25835 stacks + 18
Quartz Bricks1,60225 stacks + 2
Spruce Planks1,15017 stacks + 62
Water86313 stacks + 31
Spruce Leaves74211 stacks + 38
Oak Leaves69710 stacks + 57
Stone Bricks5859 stacks + 9
Deepslate Tile Stairs5268 stacks + 14
Glass Pane4857 stacks + 37
Quartz Pillar4537 stacks + 5
Quartz Stairs3575 stacks + 37
Gravel3525 stacks + 32
Chiseled Quartz Block2984 stacks + 42
Smooth Quartz Slab2543 stacks + 62
Red Terracotta2483 stacks + 56
Stone Brick Slab1742 stacks + 46
Bookshelf1532 stacks + 25
Smooth Sandstone1121 stack + 48
Dark Oak Planks1081 stack + 44
Deepslate Tile Slab871 stack + 23
Iron Bars821 stack + 18
Lantern761 stack + 12
Oak Log761 stack + 12
Smooth Stone651 stack + 1
End Rod53
Dark Oak Fence51
Block of Gold46
Blue Wool39
Quartz Block37
Polished Blackstone35
Poppy34
Red Wool33
Blue Carpet27
Cornflower24
Yellow Wool22
Birch Planks16
Dark Oak Slab16
Orange Wool16
Red Carpet14
Birch Fence12
Dark Oak Stairs12
Stone Brick Wall10
Fire6
Sea Lantern6
Ladder5
Glowstone4
Stone Brick Stairs4
Dark Oak Door3
White Bed2
White Carpet2
Green Wool1

Building tips

  1. Start with the moat: a four-block ring of water around a raised island one block above the meadow. The back towers stand half in the water, which is what makes it look like Chenonceau.
  2. The roofs are steep: each step in is a full deepslate tile block with a deepslate tile stair on top of it, so the slope rises two blocks for every block across. Build the slopes first, then cut in the dormers.
  3. Dormers are the signature of a Loire château. Carry the wall face straight up through the roof, put a two-wide window in it and finish it with a pointed stone gable and a pinnacle on each side.
  4. Spires: stack shrinking rings of deepslate tiles, slimming faster near the top, and crown each one with a gold block, iron bars and an end rod.
  5. Lay out the parterre on paper first. Each panel is a mirrored pattern of one-high hedges on coloured gravel. Mirror it left to right so both halves match exactly.
  6. Put lanterns behind every window row and inside the stair tower lantern; at night the whole white facade glows and the moat reflects the light.

Step-by-step: all 47 layers

  1. Layer 1 Grass Block ×1616, Water ×822, Stone Bricks ×406, Red Terracotta ×248, Gravel ×115, Smooth Sandstone ×112, Smooth Stone ×65, Smooth Quartz Block ×41, Quartz Bricks ×7, Sea Lantern ×6, Stone Brick Stairs ×4
  2. Layer 2 Grass Block ×928, Spruce Leaves ×492, Spruce Planks ×366, Quartz Bricks ×242, Gravel ×237, Stone Bricks ×179, Smooth Quartz Block ×173, Dark Oak Planks ×77, Water ×38, Quartz Block ×37, Polished Blackstone ×35, Poppy ×34, Cornflower ×24, Dark Oak Fence ×12, Oak Log ×10, Birch Planks ×8, Quartz Pillar ×1
  3. Layer 3 Smooth Quartz Block ×303, Stone Brick Slab ×174, Spruce Leaves ×74, Quartz Bricks ×45, Quartz Pillar ×44, Quartz Stairs ×42, Oak Log ×18, Bookshelf ×17, Dark Oak Slab ×16, Red Carpet ×14, Dark Oak Fence ×13, Birch Fence ×12, Dark Oak Stairs ×12, Stone Brick Wall ×10, Birch Planks ×8, Blue Carpet ×7, Dark Oak Door ×3, Fire ×3, Water ×2, Ladder ×1
  4. Layer 4 Smooth Quartz Block ×264, Spruce Leaves ×74, Glass Pane ×46, Quartz Pillar ×44, Oak Leaves ×40, Quartz Bricks ×25, Lantern ×20, Oak Log ×18, Bookshelf ×17, Dark Oak Fence ×12, Orange Wool ×8, Quartz Stairs ×4, Fire ×3, White Carpet ×2, Blue Wool ×1, Ladder ×1
  5. Layer 5 Smooth Quartz Block ×224, Spruce Leaves ×78, Oak Leaves ×72, Glass Pane ×50, Quartz Pillar ×43, Red Wool ×33, Quartz Bricks ×26, Bookshelf ×17, Oak Log ×10, Orange Wool ×8, Lantern ×6, End Rod ×4, Quartz Stairs ×4, Chiseled Quartz Block ×3, Block of Gold ×1, Green Wool ×1, Ladder ×1
  6. Layer 6 Oak Leaves ×233, Smooth Quartz Block ×221, Glass Pane ×51, Quartz Pillar ×43, Quartz Bricks ×24, Bookshelf ×17, Oak Log ×10, Spruce Leaves ×8, Iron Bars ×5, Quartz Stairs ×5, Lantern ×3, Block of Gold ×1, Ladder ×1, Water ×1
  7. Layer 7 Smooth Quartz Block ×220, Oak Leaves ×217, Chiseled Quartz Block ×90, Dark Oak Planks ×31, Quartz Bricks ×31, Block of Gold ×11, Oak Log ×10, Spruce Leaves ×8, Lantern ×7, Quartz Stairs ×5, Ladder ×1, Quartz Pillar ×1
  8. Layer 8 Spruce Planks ×388, Smooth Quartz Block ×231, Oak Leaves ×68, Smooth Quartz Slab ×44, Quartz Stairs ×43, Quartz Pillar ×41, Quartz Bricks ×29, Bookshelf ×17, Dark Oak Fence ×14, Blue Wool ×10, Spruce Leaves ×8, Lantern ×2
  9. Layer 9 Smooth Quartz Block ×215, Oak Leaves ×67, Glass Pane ×57, Quartz Pillar ×49, Blue Carpet ×20, Quartz Bricks ×19, Bookshelf ×17, Lantern ×16, Blue Wool ×6, Iron Bars ×4, Yellow Wool ×4, Block of Gold ×3, White Bed ×2, Quartz Stairs ×1
  10. Layer 10 Smooth Quartz Block ×209, Glass Pane ×57, Quartz Pillar ×49, Quartz Bricks ×26, Bookshelf ×17, Blue Wool ×8, Yellow Wool ×2, Quartz Stairs ×1
  11. Layer 11 Smooth Quartz Block ×212, Glass Pane ×52, Quartz Pillar ×49, Quartz Bricks ×28, Bookshelf ×17, Yellow Wool ×10, Lantern ×6, Quartz Stairs ×1
  12. Layer 12 Smooth Quartz Block ×206, Quartz Bricks ×98, Chiseled Quartz Block ×96, Bookshelf ×17, Block of Gold ×8, Blue Wool ×6, Lantern ×6, Yellow Wool ×4, Glowstone ×1, Quartz Pillar ×1, Quartz Stairs ×1
  13. Layer 13 Spruce Planks ×256, Smooth Quartz Block ×207, Deepslate Tiles ×46, Quartz Bricks ×39, Quartz Stairs ×25, Smooth Quartz Slab ×22, Quartz Pillar ×15, Blue Wool ×8, End Rod ×8, Glass Pane ×5, Yellow Wool ×2, Block of Gold ×1
  14. Layer 14 Smooth Quartz Block ×191, Deepslate Tile Stairs ×52, Quartz Bricks ×46, Glass Pane ×39, Quartz Pillar ×17, Block of Gold ×10, Lantern ×6, Iron Bars ×1, Quartz Stairs ×1
  15. Layer 15 Smooth Quartz Block ×183, Deepslate Tiles ×62, Quartz Bricks ×49, Glass Pane ×36, Quartz Pillar ×17, Iron Bars ×1, Quartz Stairs ×1
  16. Layer 16 Smooth Quartz Block ×199, Deepslate Tile Stairs ×58, Smooth Quartz Slab ×48, Chiseled Quartz Block ×40, Quartz Bricks ×33, Glass Pane ×12, Lantern ×4, Iron Bars ×1, Quartz Pillar ×1, Quartz Stairs ×1
  17. Layer 17 Smooth Quartz Block ×186, Quartz Bricks ×160, Spruce Planks ×140, Deepslate Tiles ×70, Chiseled Quartz Block ×12, Glass Pane ×5, Quartz Pillar ×1, Quartz Stairs ×1
  18. Layer 18 Smooth Quartz Block ×137, Quartz Bricks ×82, Deepslate Tiles ×81, Deepslate Tile Stairs ×70, Smooth Quartz Slab ×48, Quartz Stairs ×19, Glass Pane ×5, Quartz Pillar ×1
  19. Layer 19 Deepslate Tiles ×154, Smooth Quartz Block ×136, Quartz Bricks ×118, Quartz Stairs ×37, Glass Pane ×18, Deepslate Tile Stairs ×17, Chiseled Quartz Block ×6, Quartz Pillar ×1
  20. Layer 20 Deepslate Tiles ×194, Smooth Quartz Block ×72, Quartz Bricks ×62, Smooth Quartz Slab ×56, Quartz Stairs ×37, Glass Pane ×20, End Rod ×12, Quartz Pillar ×1
  21. Layer 21 Deepslate Tiles ×148, Quartz Bricks ×118, Smooth Quartz Block ×67, Deepslate Tile Slab ×58, Deepslate Tile Stairs ×34, Glass Pane ×23, Iron Bars ×6, Chiseled Quartz Block ×2, Quartz Pillar ×1, Quartz Stairs ×1
  22. Layer 22 Deepslate Tiles ×169, Quartz Bricks ×54, Smooth Quartz Block ×25, Chiseled Quartz Block ×22, Iron Bars ×17, Glass Pane ×7, Quartz Pillar ×1, Quartz Stairs ×1
  23. Layer 23 Deepslate Tiles ×196, Quartz Bricks ×76, Smooth Quartz Block ×65, Deepslate Tile Stairs ×51, Chiseled Quartz Block ×2
  24. Layer 24 Deepslate Tiles ×184, Smooth Quartz Block ×67, Quartz Stairs ×66, Quartz Bricks ×12, Chiseled Quartz Block ×11, Quartz Pillar ×8, Glass Pane ×2, Glowstone ×1
  25. Layer 25 Deepslate Tiles ×134, Quartz Stairs ×60, Deepslate Tile Stairs ×54, End Rod ×22, Quartz Bricks ×12, Smooth Quartz Block ×12, Quartz Pillar ×8, Chiseled Quartz Block ×2, Glowstone ×1
  26. Layer 26 Deepslate Tiles ×154, Quartz Bricks ×12, Iron Bars ×11, Smooth Quartz Block ×10, Quartz Pillar ×8, Glowstone ×1
  27. Layer 27 Deepslate Tile Stairs ×66, Deepslate Tiles ×64, Quartz Bricks ×12, Smooth Quartz Block ×10, Quartz Pillar ×8
  28. Layer 28 Deepslate Tiles ×156, Quartz Bricks ×57, Smooth Quartz Slab ×24, Smooth Quartz Block ×6
  29. Layer 29 Deepslate Tile Stairs ×66, Deepslate Tiles ×58, Quartz Bricks ×12, Smooth Quartz Block ×6
  30. Layer 30 Deepslate Tiles ×130, Quartz Bricks ×12, Smooth Quartz Block ×2
  31. Layer 31 Deepslate Tile Stairs ×58, Deepslate Tiles ×54, Quartz Bricks ×12, Block of Gold ×2, Smooth Quartz Block ×2
  32. Layer 32 Deepslate Tiles ×59, Chiseled Quartz Block ×12, Iron Bars ×2
  33. Layer 33 Deepslate Tiles ×57, Quartz Bricks ×12, Block of Gold ×2, Iron Bars ×2
  34. Layer 34 Deepslate Tiles ×38, Deepslate Tile Slab ×29, Quartz Bricks ×12, Iron Bars ×4
  35. Layer 35 Iron Bars ×17, Smooth Quartz Slab ×12, Deepslate Tiles ×10, End Rod ×2
  36. Layer 36 Deepslate Tiles ×10, Iron Bars ×2
  37. Layer 37 Deepslate Tiles ×10, End Rod ×2
  38. Layer 38 Deepslate Tiles ×8, Block of Gold ×2
  39. Layer 39 Deepslate Tiles ×9, Iron Bars ×2
  40. Layer 40 Iron Bars ×2, Deepslate Tiles ×1
  41. Layer 41 Iron Bars ×2, Deepslate Tiles ×1
  42. Layer 42 End Rod ×2, Deepslate Tiles ×1
  43. Layer 43 Block of Gold ×1
  44. Layer 44 Iron Bars ×1
  45. Layer 45 Block of Gold ×4, Iron Bars ×1
  46. Layer 46 Iron Bars ×1
  47. Layer 47 End Rod ×1

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