51 Iconic Buildings to Explore in Centre-Val de Loire

This lovely renaissance chateau built on top of a hill overlooking the Domaine de Candé is a worth visit. it dates back to the year 1499. One of the iconic building in this area which is historically important.

A rare example of Renaissance architecture in Tours which now hosts innovative, regularly changing temporary exhibitions and so more. There is a Museum of the Archaeological Society of Touraine presents a wide variety of collections ranging from prehistory to the 18th Century.

The 18th-century Château de Nohant is where George Sand, the famous French author of The Devil's Pool, spent her childhood and various key moments of her life. It was located in the village of Nohant. A majestic 6-hectare garden boasting a wonderful rose garden, meadow orchard, flower garden, kitchen garden, and the wooded park is set around this castle. \Now this castle functions as a museum where the works of Sand wrote and of many other important artists and writers of her time are been kept

The Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire has become an essential place in the field of art and gardens. The heritage, artistic, and gardening makes this estate a unique place in the Loire châteaux circuit. It is a public cultural cooperation establishment , owned since 2008 by the Center-Val de Loire region. Because of its past and its exceptional location on the banks of the Loire , a landscape classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Joan of Arc's birthplace is a house of the xv th century in medieval style, situated in Domremy-la-Pucelle in the Vosges in Lorraine. In this family home of the Arc, the family was born Joan of Arc around 1412; she spent her childhood there and heard the voices and contemplated her first appearances. The house has been listed as a historic monument since 1840 1 and has been awarded the Maisons des Illustres label.

The House of Magic takes you into an astonishing world of illusion which holds many surprises. Ideally located opposite the royal castle, the house of magic tells you in this large 19 th century house the history of magic and illusion, as well as the life and work of the famous illusionist from Blés Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin. This house will carry you away in a universe permeated with magic and legends.

The Picassiette house is an example of naive architecture made up of earthenware and glass mosaics cast in cement. It is located in Chartres and depends on the Museum of Fine Arts in the city.Visiting the Maison Picassiette means examining every corner where buildings, faces, flowers, animals, and other surprising shapes appear.

The Meillant castle is a historic manor in Meillant, built in the 15th century; it has been listed as an official monument since 1963. this renaissance castle offers visitors the opportunity to discover the traditional architecture through unique themed visits. It is characterized by its Late Gothic style.

The Jacques-Heart Palace is a mansion located in Bourges, considered by the elegance of its architecture, the richness, and variety of its decoration, as one of the most sumptuous civil buildings of xv the century and a masterpiece of civil architecture in the flamboyant Gothic style. It was born from the desire of the rich merchant Jacques Coeur to build a “big 'house” in his native town, but Charles VII's treasurer never lived there. This palace is classified as historical monuments by 1840. i

The Martroi square is the main square of the city of Orleans, where stands the equestrian statue of Joan of Arc carried out in 1855 by Denis Foyatier and replaces that of 1804 carried out by Gois. The bas-reliefs adorning the pedestal of the statue are by the sculptor Vital Dubray. The first tram of Orleans cross the square at the end of xix th century.

The Pagoda of Chanteloup located in the heart of the castles of the Loire is the testimony of the castle of the Duke of Choiseul. The pagoda is 44m high and is held up by a ring of 16 columns and 16 pillars and it offers a panoramic view of the Amboise forest and the Loire Valley. The château was mostly demolished in 1823, but some features of the park remain there.