Château d'Azay-le-Rideau

About this place

The Château d'Azay-le-Rideau is located in the town of Azay-le-Rideau in the French département of Indre-et-Loire. Built between 1518 and 1527, this château is considered one of the foremost examples of early French renaissance architecture. Set on an island in the middle of the Indre river, this picturesque château has become one of the most popular of the châteaux of the Loire valley. Compare the overall outline with the spaces intended for residence and ceremony. The contrast helps reveal how architecture expressed the ambitions of its patrons and how inherited forms could be adapted to new expectations of comfort and display.