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Visitors to France's valley of castles enter a fairytale world that was once the playground of monarchs.
1. Chateau de Chenonceau (below left)
This castle is the epitome of the grace and splendour of the French Renaissance. Known as 'the ladies' chateau', its development was significantly guided by several remarkable women, chief among them King Henry II's mistress, Diane de Poitiers, and his wife, Catherine de Medici. Chenonceau, which was built sometime before the 11th century, is the complete experience: a noble chateau that arches gracefully over the River Cher; an interior with every room decorated in Renaissance-period style; beautiful and extensive formal gardens and finely mown lawns; wooded parkland all around; and an excellent restaurant in the Orangerie. See www.chenonceau.com.
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2. Chateau d'Azay-le-Rideau
This 16th-century castle is also set on water, surreally appearing to float upon the lazy, limpid River Indre. Azay-le-Rideau was built by Gilles Berthelot, a powerful nobleman. Suspected of embezzlement by King Francois I, Berthelot was forced to flee. The king then confiscated the chateau and passed it on to one of his cronies. The chateau and its park are located on a wooded island in the Indre, with the bijou town of the same name adjacent. See azay-le-rideau.monuments-nationaux.fr/en.
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3. Chateau de Villandry
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