France

Château d’If is a famous castle in southern France. It stands atop a small limestone island opposite the harbor of Marseille, and its terrace affords a splendid view of the port. Château d’If History Built by Francis I in 1524, the castle was used for several centuries as a state prison. Its inmates included the […]

The Château de Coucy is a castle complex in Aisne, northern France. Château de Coucy History The castle was built between 1225 and 1242 on a spur overlooking the valley of the River Ailette between Soissons and Laon, which cuts the road to St Quentin. A colossal feudal fortress, strongly fortified by the lords of

Château de Chenonceau is a French castle, situated on the River Cher, (in the commune of Chenonceaux) near Amboise, in Indre-et-Loire. Château de Chenonceau History Chenonceau was the castle of the lords of Marques originally, but in 1513 it was the property of Thomas Bohier, the treasurer of Louis XII. He was the one who

Château de Gaillon is a French castle situated on the River Seine about km northwest of Paris, in the department of Eure. Château of Gaillon History It is a medieval fortress, owned from 1263 by the Archdiocese of Rouen, previously stood on the site, built around a quadrilateral courtyard. It was ruined during the Hundred

Château Gaillard is a castle at Les Andelys, Normandy, France. Château-Gaillard History Richard I of England built the stronghold, of great originality, between 1197 and 1198 on the cliffs overlooking the River Seine, in order to protect Rouen and Normandy from Philip Augustus of France, to whom he had already lost several places, including Gisors.

Château de Compiègne is a french royal palace c. 75 km north of Paris, in the département of Oise. Compiègne has been a royal residence since the 7th century when it was used by Merovingian kings. Château de Compiègne Architecture The present building was begun in 1751 for Louis XV, King of France, by Anges-Jacques

Château de Chantilly, set on a rock in the otherwise flat, marshy valley of the Nonette River, was first fortified in Roman times and was in continuous occupation throughout the Middle Ages. History of Château de Chantilly In 1386 it was bought by Pierre d’Orgemont, Chancelier de France, who built a new castle that was

The Château de Lunéville is a castle situated in Luneville, Lorraine. Château de Lunéville History The Château de Lunéville was patterned after the Palace of Versailles and was built between 1703 and 1720. Later on, Poland’s dethroned king, Stanislas Leszczynski, set up a court here under a special deal with King Louis XV of France

Carcassonne is a medieval fortified town in Languedoc, southern France. Situated on a plateau dominating the plain of the Aude, the walled town of Carcassonne is rectangular in shape, up to 525 m long and 250 m wide. It is still surrounded by its medieval double enclosure wall: the inner curtain is around 1245 m

The Palais du Luxembourg is currently the seat of the French Senate and it lies in the capital city of Paris. Palais du Luxembourg History Marie de Medici acquired in 1611 the François de Luxembourg Mansion on Rue de Vaugirard together with its large grounds outside the town walls, neighboring a Carthusian convent. By October

The Versailles is a town and château in France, 20 km southwest of Paris. A hunting lodge built for King Louis XIII in 1623, Versailles was rebuilt with extensive gardens in 1631. Under King Louis XIV it became the main royal residence and the seat of the French government from 1682. The château was enlarged

Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte History Vaux-le-Vicomte is a French château, 6 km north-east of Melun, in the département of Seine-et-Marne. It was built between 1656 and 1661 by Louis Le Vau for Nicolas Fouquet, Louis XIV’s Surintendant des Finances. The gardens were laid out by André Le Nôtre under Le Vau’s guidance. The forerunner of Versailles,

Chateau de Saint-Germain-en-Laye is a French royal castle, west of Paris in the Yvelines département. Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye History Work at the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye was begun in 1124 by Louis VI as a fortified hunting lodge in the forests of St Germain and Marly on the site of a 10th-century monastery founded by Robert

History of Chateau de Rambouillet Château de Rambouillet is a French castle located near Paris, best known for its gardens, laid out between 1700 and 1789. The Château de Rambouillet was built and maintained by the d’Angennes family from the 14th to the 17th centuries. To accommodate the site surrounding the château, essentially a flat,

The Château de Marly was a French former royal castle, situated 27 km west of Paris in the Yvelines département. It was built between 1679 and 1683 for Louis XIV as an annex to Versailles by Jules Hardouin Mansart, Charles Le Brun, and André Le Nôtre. The site was an important source of water for

This royal hunting lodge was first mentioned in 1137 and became for nearly 350 years the chief palace of the kings of France, who were attracted by the hunting afforded by the Forêt de Bière. The present château dates from the rebuilding and enlargements of Francis I started in 1528 and from the modifications undertaken

Château d’Écouen is a French castle in Val d’Oise. The château was built for Anne Montmorency, Constable of France, between 1531 and 1563, and it is the first example in France of a four-wing plan, with corner pavilions, around a central court. Château d’Ecouen History The Castle of Ecouen sits on a hill, with façades

Château de Chambord is a French royal castle situated near Blois. Château de Chambord Facts The Château de Chambord was Francis I’s a personal project, and he had undertaken the immense construction with all the enthusiasm of the early years of his reign. He pursued the project for 30 years, even though the court had

Chateau de Brissac is located in the village of Brissac-Quince, just south of Angers in the Maine-Loire area, the western part of the Loire Valley. With seven floors, it’s the tallest chateaux in the whole of France. Château de Brissac History In 1502, Charles II of Cosse, Duke of Brissac, built the chateau on top

Chateau de Blois is a royal palace located in the town of Blois, Loir-et-Cher. Château de Blois History The Château de Blois was built in different phases between the 13th and the 17th centuries. It comprises many buildings and incorporates many architectural styles. The chapel of St Calais (consecrated 1508), of which only the three

Château of Azay-le-Rideau is a French castle near Tours, Indre-et-Loire. Château of Azay-le-Rideau History The castle was built between 1518 and 1528 for Gilles Berthelot, a financier from Tours in the service of Francis I. The stone château, surrounded on three sides by the River Indre, has an L-shaped plan under steep slate roofs. The

Château d’Anet History The Chateau d’Anet is aFrench 16th-century castle,75 km west of Paris, in the département of Eure-et-Loire. In 1546 Diane de Poitiers, widow of Louis de Brézé, began to build a modest house in the village of Anet; it underwent considerable and magnificent enlargement when her lover Henry II became King of France

Château de Dinan is a castle built in 1382 in Brittany, France. It is also known as Donjon de la Duchesse Anne (french for Keep of Duchess Anne). Dinan Castle History Château de Dinan was built by John IV of Montfort, Duke of Brittany, after his return from exile in England (1379). The site was

Château de Guédelon History Château de Guédelon project aims to recreate a 13th-century medieval castle with technology from that era. The castle is located in Treigny, Burgundy, France, and it is still under construction. Construction of Guedelon Castle started in 1997 and it is estimated to end around 2023. The first year was spent making

History of Château d’Ancy-le-Franc The Château d’Ancy-le-Franc is a French 16th-century castle and garden near Tonnerre, in Burgundy. Antoine de Clermont, brother-in-law of Diane de Poitiers commissioned Sebastiano Serlio, employed at the court of Francis I, to design the château and garden; construction on a large level site began in about 1546. The house is