Structure of Châteaux
This is a water-filled ditch originally served as a defense barrier against attackers.
Fossé (moat)
Known for its Hall of Mirrors, this former hunting lodge became the seat of political power under Louis XIV.
The Palace of Versailles
The French term for a "keep" or a heavy fortified tower.
Donjon (the keep)
Known as the "Sun King," he moved the royal court from Paris to the suburbs in 1682.
Louis XIV
In 2024, a standard adult "Passport" ticket to visit the Palace of Versailles costs approximately this many Euros (within 5€).
32€ to 35€
Often the centerpiece of a medieval château, this fortified tower served as the final place of refuge.
Donjon (the keep)
Often called the "Ladies' Château," this elegant structure spans the River Cher.
Château de Chenonceau
This term describes a small, slender tower that typically projects from the corner of a building.
tourelle (the turret)
This Queen of France and wife of Louis XVI had her own "Hamlet" built at Versailles to escape court life.
Marie Antoinette
To maintain a mid-sized historic château today, owners can expect to spend at least this percentage of the property's value annually on repairs.
1% to 1.5%
Leonardo da Vinci is often credited with designing the famous "double helix" version of this structure at Chambord.
Escalier à double hélice (double helix staircase)
This Loire Valley giant features 440 rooms and a roofline designed to look like a city skyline.
The Château de Chambord
A "corps de logis" refers to this.
The primary residential wing of a large French estate.
This King, a great patron of the arts, brought Leonardo da Vinci to live near his château at Amboise.
Francis I of France (François Ier)
This 17th-century tax on "Doors and Windows" heavily influenced the architectural design and "cost" of many French estates. What is the tax called in French?
contribution des portes et fenêtres
These decorative, tooth-like battlements on top of walls allowed defenders to fire arrows while remaining protected.
Créneaux (battlements)
This château’s beauty supposedly made Louis XIV so jealous that he imprisoned its owner, Nicolas Fouquet.
Vaux-le-Vicomte (Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte)
If you are walking through a "parterre," you are spending time in this part of the estate.
The formal garden
Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de' Medici famously feuded over the ownership of this specific river-crossing château.
The Château de Chenonceau
This billionaire set a record in 2015 by purchasing the "Château Louis XIV" for roughly $300 million.
Mohammed bin Salman
The "Cour d'honneur" refers to this specific three-sided entry area found in many classical French estates.
porte-cochère (coach door/carriage door)
This fortress-turned-palace in the heart of Paris now houses the world’s most visited art museum.
The Louvre (Musée du Louvre)
This architectural style, prominent in the 16th century, blended French medieval shapes with Italian classical ornament.
French Renaissance architecture
This Emperor spent his final days in France at Malmaison before his exile.
Napoleon Bonaparte
This modern-day crowdfunding project allows thousands of "co-lords" to buy shares in ruins like Mothe-Chandeniers to fund their restoration.
The crowdfunding project, led by Dartagnans and "The Friends of the Castle of la Mothe-Chandeniers"