Castle of Courtanvaux. The first constructions date back to the 14th e century , when the lords of Bessé built a medieval mansion intended to comfort the local population and act as protection in the event of conflict. This fortress played a strategic role during the Middle Ages, particularly during the Hundred Years war. In 1427, on his way to join Joan of Arc at Orleans, the famous Gilles de Rais (Bluebeard) besieged the fortress which had been occupied by the English for many years. Château de La Roche in the 17th century, because of repetitive floods, the castle lost its attraction, resembling more and more a fortified house that became a ruin in later centuries. At the end of the 1900s, an industrialist from Roanne bought the castle and restored it in the Gothic style, intending it as a second home. Château Chardonneux in Saint-Biez-en-Belin is renowne d as the "Le Mot et l'Image." Built in 1882 by architect Pierre-Félix Delarue, t...
