France — The Royal Loire — Late 15th–16th centuries

Historical focus: Late 15th–16th centuries. Dates describe the main subject, not the publication date; later afterlives may also appear.

The Loire Valley was not simply a landscape of beautiful châteaux. For the late Valois and early Renaissance monarchy it was a moving court. Amboise became a major royal residence under Charles VIII. Blois became one of the principal seats of Louis XII and François I. Chambord was something different. It was less a permanent home than a royal architectural statement. François I used it to transform hunting, landscape and architecture into a display of sovereign magnificence. The Loire palace system shows a monarchy that still travelled constantly. The court existed wherever the king was. A château became a capital for days, weeks or months.

This mobility is essential to understanding French monarchy before Versailles.