Le Lude

Le Lude stands on the Loir, where its castle overlooks the river and the town. During the Hundred Years' War, English forces took the fortress in 1425; French troops retook it after a siege in 1427, leaving the building badly damaged.

Jean de Daillon acquired the castle and its lands in 1457. He and his successors rebuilt and embellished the fortified residence, gradually transforming it in the styles of the Renaissance. The castle remained the centre of a seigneurie whose influence extended into the surrounding countryside.