France

The Palace of Versailles is the principal residence of the French monarchs especially from 1682 onwards. This remained the case right up until the French Revolution in the late 18th century. The palace was built on the site of and old church.

The Palace of Fontainebleau is one of the largest of all French Chateaus. It dates from the earliest of 1137 and this Palace was a favourite residence of the French King's especially being used more of a hunting lodge. The palace also served as the royal residence of the French monarchs from Louis VII to Napoleon III. It was Francis I and Napoleon III who had most influence on the building.

The Palais Royal was originally called the Palais Cardinal. The palace served as the main residence of Cardinal Richelieu in the 17th century. Construction on the palace began in 1633 and was completed in 1639. Following the death of the cardinal in 1642 the palace passed into the hands of the King. From 1649 the Palace became the home of the exiled Henrietta Maria wife of Charles I following his beheading.

Luxembourg Palace was originally built between 1615-1645 and was the royal residence of the Regent Marie de Medici the mother of Louis Xiii of France. Over the years the palace was remodelled and designed.

The Palais Bourbon serves as a meeting place of the French National Assembly, the lower legislative chamber of the French government. It is located in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, on the left bank of the Seine, across from the Place de la Concorde.

The Chateau dates back to 1368. On 31st March 1547 King Francis I of France died there in the room that was said to bear his name. In 1783 the Chateau became the property of Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette.

Chateaux de Foix dates back to as early as 970 and it was built mainly as a fortress that played key roles in military history. The castle was able to resist many assaults especially from Simon de Monfort and it was only taken once in 1486.

Chateau Gaillard is a Medieval Castle on which construction began in 1196 under Richard The Lionheart who was King of England and Duke Of Normandy. The Chateau took two years to build and in 1204 it was captured by King Phillip II after a long siege and in mid 14th century it became the home of the exiled King David I of Scotland. In 1599 King Henry IV of France ordered for it to be demolished.

The original fortress was built back as far as the Emperor Charlemagne but it was in 1306 when King Edward I of England gave permission to Cardinal de la mothe to build a second fortress.

Originally Chateau Angers was built as a fortress by the Romans and it was in the 9th century when it became the property of the Counts of Anjou. During the 12th century the Chateau became the part of the Angevin dynasty and part of the Plantagenet kingdom of England.

Chateau de Falais was the birthplace of William the Conqueror around 1028. The chateau would then pass into the hands of all his descendants following his accession to the English throne in 1066. The family held it until the 13th century when it was captured by Phillip II of France.

The Château de Condé is a private estate in Condé-en-Brie, Aisne, France, set in a park on the Champagne route 100 km from Paris. The Château de Condé is a private estate, listed as a historic monument and inhabited year round.

The Château de Fère-en-Tardenois is a ruined castle in the commune of Fère-en-Tardenois in the Aisne département of France. Construction of the original castle began in 1206. Little of that remains today.

The succession passed by various marriages to the houses of Nevers, Preuilly and Montoire. Bouchard VI, Count of Vendôme and Castres (died c. 1374), left as his heiress his sister Catherine, the wife of John of Bourbon, count of La Marche. The county of Vendôme was raised to the rank of a duchy and a peerage of France for Charles of Bourbon (1515); his son Antoine de Bourbon, king of Navarre, was the father of Henry IV, who gave the duchy of Vendôme in 1598 to his illegitimate son César de Bourbon (1594–1665). César, duke of Vendôme, took part in the disturbances which went on in France under the government of Cardinal Richelieu and of Cardinal Mazarin; he was the father of Louis, Duke of Vendôme, who married a niece of Mazarin, and François de Vendôme, Duc de Beaufort. The last of his family in the male line was Louis XIV's famous general, Louis Joseph, duc de Vendôme (1645–1712).

The College of Navarre was one of the colleges of the historic University of Paris, rivaling the Sorbonne and renowned for its library.