Château de Villandry

The origins of the current castle date back to the 12th century, when the fortress of Colombier stood on this site. Here in 1189, the Peace of Colombier was signed between the English King Henry II Plantagenet and the French King Philip II Augustus. The current Renaissance château was built starting in 1532 under the aegis of Jean le Breton, the finance minister of Francis I. The Gothic fortress was demolished down to its foundations and keep for this purpose. The castle and its gardens were completed in 1536. It is one of the last châteaux on the Loire built in the Renaissance style, characterized by a simpler, purely French style that distinguishes itself from Italian influences and anticipates later constructions such as Anet and Fontainebleau. In 1705, the Marquis de Castellane acquired the estate and had it adapted to the comfort standards of the time, with the gardens being transformed into an English landscape garden.