Le Lude, one of the great châteaux of the Loire, stands at the crossroads of Anjou, Maine and Touraine.

The original fortress was built between the 10th and 11th centuries on the banks of the river Loir, in order to defend Anjou from the incursions of the Normans and then the English during the Hundred Years War. Gilles de Rais, the Blue Beard of legend, was victorious in battle there in 1427, before joining Joan of Arc at Orleans.

Louis XI's chamberlain, Jehan de Daillon, took possession of the Lude estates at the end of the 15th century. He transformed the fortress into an elegant pleasure palace, which his descendants embellished over two centuries. To them we owe the Renaissance façade in the Italian style and the main courtyard with its marble plaques. The château then welcomed illustrious visitors: Henri IV, Louis XIII and the Marquise de Sévigné.

In 1751, Le Lude became the property of Joseph Duvelaër, head of the Council of the East Indian Company. His niece, the Marquise de la Vieuville, built the classical wing in the style of Louis XVI and defended the château during the French Revolution. Her descendants, the Talhouët-Roy, carried out extensive works of restoration throughout the 19th century.

In the hands of the same family for the last 250 years, Le Lude belongs to the Count and Countess Louis-Jean de Nicolaÿ, who have carried on its tradition of restoration and decoration.

The richness and variety of the styles that characterise the Château du Lude are echoed in the interior decoration and furniture.

The Cabinet de peintures, executed by the School of Raphaël, is a unique example of a studiolo in the Italian style in a French château.

                            

In the basement are the old vaulted kitchens, in use since the 15th century, while the outbuildings provide the stables and a granary with a remarkable timber frame.