Originally a medieval castle established in the 10th century and frequently fought over by both French and English forces, the Chateau de Langeais sprang up after King Charles VII bought and destroyed the majority of the castle, keeping only the keep. In 1465 King Louis XI designed and constructed a royal chateau from the keep, giving the townside of the chateau the facade of a military fort, while other half was a beautifully decorated royal residence. From the 15th century onward the chateau served many owners, eventually coming into the hands of Jacques Siegfried, who restored the chateau to glory and would later pass it on to the Institut de France, who maintain it today as a major tourist attraction in the Loire Valley.
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