Favorite residence of the kings in the Renaissance, the last of the Valois summoned the States-General there twice. The castle of Blois mixes architectural styles, from Gothic to classicism. Blois is best known for its monumental staircase, its galleries, its Louis XII wing and the equestrian statue.

Jewel of the chateaux of the Loire, Chambord was designed for the pleasure of the great King Francis I and became the symbol of the Renaissance.