Château de Villandry

Castle Châteaux of the Loire Valley, France

The Château de Villandry, completed in 1536, was the last of the large châteaux built on the banks of the Loire during the Renaissance. Villandry was built by Jean le Breton, one of François I's finance ministers, whose coat of arms can be seen on the left pediment of the dormer window. In order to build the current castle, Jean Le Breton razed an old 12th century castle, of which he only kept the old tower which can be seen behind the main courtyard.