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Illustration - Loire Valley

FRANCE - LOIRE VALLEY - LOIR ET CHER (41) - CASTLE OF CHAUMONT SUR LOIRE : AERIAL VIEW FROM THE NORTH. PERCHED 40 METERS ABOVE THE LOIRE RIVER, THIS CASTLE ILLUSTRATES BOTH THE DEFENSIVE ARCHITECTURE OF THE GOTHIC ERA AND THE ARCHITECTURE OF AMENITY OF THE RENAISSANCE. IT WAS, IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY, PROPERTY OF QUEEN CATHERINE DE MEDICI THEN DIANE DE POITIERS. Photo by Stephane Compoint/Only France/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Illustration - Loire Valley

INDRE ET LOIRE (37) CHATEAU DE LANGEAIS. AERIAL VIEW FROM THE NORTH, IN THE RISING SUN. IN THE BACKGROUND ON THE LEFT, THE OLDEST KEEP IN FRANCE, BUILT BY FOULQUES NERRA, COUNT OF ANJOU, IN 994. COMMISSIONED BY KING LOUIS XI IN 1465, ITS ARCHITECTURE REPRESENTS A TRANSITION BETWEEN THE MIDDLE AGES AND THE RENAISSANCE: ON ONE SIDE, AN IMPRESSIVE FORTIFIED FACADE, WITH ITS LARGE TOWERS, COVERED WALKWAY AND DRAWBRIDGE. ON THE OTHER, A COURTYARD FACADE WITH NUMEROUS SCULPTED WINDOWS OPENING ONTO THE GARDENS. Photo by Stephane Compoint/Only France/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Illustration - Loire Valley

FRANCE - LOIRE VALLEY - LOIR ET CHER (41) - CASTLE OF BLOIS : MONUMENTAL STAIRCASE WITH SCREW, INTERIOR. "EXCAVATED LIKE AN IVORY FROM CHINA" ACCORDING TO BALZAC, COVERED WITH FINE RENAISSANCE SCULPTURES, ITALIANATE ORNAMENTS (STATUES, BALUSTERS, CANDELABRAS) AND ROYAL EMBLEMS (SALAMANDERS, CROWNS, "F" FOR FRANCOIS I, "C" FOR CLAUDE FROM FRANCE), IT OPENS BETWEEN THE BUTTRESSES BY LARGE BAYS ON THE COURTYARD OF THE CASTLE. ITS SLOPING, HELICALLY SHAPED VAULT, SUPPORTED BY EXTERNAL RECTANGULAR BUTTRESSES, MAKES IT A RECURRING SYMBOL OF FRENCH ARCHITECTURE IN THE RENAISSANCE AND HERALDS THE INNOVATIONS OF THE TIME ON STAIRCASE ARCHITECTURE, WHICH BECOME, MORE THAN FUNCTIONAL ELEMENT, A MAJOR AESTHETIC ADDITION. Photo by Stephane Compoint/Only France/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Illustration - Loire Valley

FRANCE - LOIRE VALLEY - MAINE ET LOIRE (49) - CASTLE OF SERRANT : GRAND STAIRCASE. RENAISSANCE STYLE, ITS SCULPTED CEILINGS ARE A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THE ITALIAN INFLUENCE IN THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY. Photo by Stephane Compoint/Only France/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Illustration - Loire Valley

FRANCE - LOIRE VALLEY - LOIR ET CHER (41) - CASTLE OF CHAUMONT SUR LOIRE : AERIAL VIEW FROM THE NORTH EAST. PERCHED 40 METERS ABOVE THE LOIRE RIVER, THIS CASTLE ILLUSTRATES BOTH THE DEFENSIVE ARCHITECTURE OF THE GOTHIC ERA AND THE ARCHITECTURE OF AMENITY OF THE RENAISSANCE. IT WAS, IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY, PROPERTY OF QUEEN CATHERINE DE MEDICI THEN DIANE DE POITIERS. ON BACKGROUND CENTER, THE VILLAGE OF CHAUMONT SUR LOIRE. ON BACKGROUND RIGHT, THE LOIRE RIVER. Photo by Stephane Compoint/Only France/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Illustration - Loire Valley

FRANCE - LOIRE VALLEY - LOIR ET CHER (41) - CASTLE OF BLOIS : AERIAL VIEW FROM THE SOUTH ON SUNRISE. THEATER OF A SUCCESSION OF PLOTS AND HISTORICAL EVENT INVOLVING 7 KINGS AND 10 QUEENS (INCLUDING THE ASSASSINATION OF THE DUKE OF GUISE IN 1588), THIS CASTLE IS A UNIQUE EXAMPLE OF THE EVOLUTION OF FRENCH ARCHITECTURE FROM THE 13TH TO THE 17TH CENTURY CENTURY AND GATHERED AROUND THE SAME COURT, 4 DIFFERENT FACADES AND 4 ERAS. FROM LEFT TO RIGHT, THE GASTON D'ORLEANS WING (CLASSICAL STYLE), THE FRANCOIS 1ER WING (RENAISSANCE STYLE), THE MEDIEVAL CASTLE (GOTHIC STYLE) AND THE LOUIS XII WING (FLAMBOYANT STYLE). Photo by Stephane Compoint/Only France/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Illustration - Aerial View of France

FRANCE - LOIRE VALLEY - LOIR ET CHER (41) - CASTLE OF CHAUMONT SUR LOIRE : AERIAL VIEW FROM THE SOUTH EAST. PERCHED 40 METERS ABOVE THE LOIRE RIVER, THIS CASTLE ILLUSTRATES BOTH THE DEFENSIVE ARCHITECTURE OF THE GOTHIC ERA AND THE ARCHITECTURE OF RENAISSANCE AMENITY. IT WAS, IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY, PROPERTY OF QUEEN CATHERINE DE MEDICI THEN DIANE DE POITIERS. ON BACKGROUND, THE LOIRE RIVER. Photo by Stephane Compoint/Only France/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Illustration - Aerial View of France

INDRE ET LOIRE (37) CHATEAU DE LANGEAIS. AERIAL VIEW FROM THE NORTH, IN THE RISING SUN. IN THE BACKGROUND ON THE LEFT, THE OLDEST KEEP IN FRANCE, BUILT BY FOULQUES NERRA, COUNT OF ANJOU, IN 994. COMMISSIONED BY KING LOUIS XI IN 1465, ITS ARCHITECTURE REPRESENTS A TRANSITION BETWEEN THE MIDDLE AGES AND THE RENAISSANCE: ON ONE SIDE, AN IMPRESSIVE FORTIFIED FACADE, WITH ITS LARGE TOWERS, COVERED WALKWAY AND DRAWBRIDGE. ON THE OTHER, A COURTYARD FACADE WITH NUMEROUS SCULPTED WINDOWS OPENING ONTO THE GARDENS. Photo by Stephane Compoint/Only France/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Illustration - Aerial View of France

FRANCE - LOIRE VALLEY - LOIR ET CHER (41) - CASTLE OF CHAUMONT SUR LOIRE : AERIAL VIEW FROM THE NORTH EAST. PERCHED 40 METERS ABOVE THE LOIRE RIVER, THIS CASTLE ILLUSTRATES BOTH THE DEFENSIVE ARCHITECTURE OF THE GOTHIC ERA AND THE ARCHITECTURE OF AMENITY OF THE RENAISSANCE. IT WAS, IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY, PROPERTY OF QUEEN CATHERINE DE MEDICI THEN DIANE DE POITIERS. ON BACKGROUND CENTER, THE VILLAGE OF CHAUMONT SUR LOIRE. ON BACKGROUND RIGHT, THE LOIRE RIVER. Photo by Stephane Compoint/Only France/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Illustration - Aerial View of France

INDRE ET LOIRE (37) CHATEAU DE LANGEAIS. AERIAL VIEW FROM THE NORTH, IN THE RISING SUN. IN THE BACKGROUND ON THE LEFT, THE OLDEST KEEP IN FRANCE, BUILT BY FOULQUES NERRA, COUNT OF ANJOU, IN 994. COMMISSIONED BY KING LOUIS XI IN 1465, ITS ARCHITECTURE REPRESENTS A TRANSITION BETWEEN THE MIDDLE AGES AND THE RENAISSANCE: ON ONE SIDE, AN IMPRESSIVE FORTIFIED FACADE, WITH ITS LARGE TOWERS, COVERED WALKWAY AND DRAWBRIDGE. ON THE OTHER, A COURTYARD FACADE WITH NUMEROUS SCULPTED WINDOWS OPENING ONTO THE GARDENS. Photo by Stephane Compoint/Only France/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Illustration - Aerial View of France

FRANCE - LOIRE VALLEY - LOIR ET CHER (41) - CASTLE OF CHAUMONT SUR LOIRE : AERIAL VIEW FROM THE NORTH. PERCHED 40 METERS ABOVE THE LOIRE RIVER, THIS CASTLE ILLUSTRATES BOTH THE DEFENSIVE ARCHITECTURE OF THE GOTHIC ERA AND THE ARCHITECTURE OF AMENITY OF THE RENAISSANCE. IT WAS, IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY, PROPERTY OF QUEEN CATHERINE DE MEDICI THEN DIANE DE POITIERS. Photo by Stephane Compoint/Only France/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Impressive Wrought-iron Gates of The Akasaka Palace, Tokyo

Impressive Wrought-iron Gates of The Akasaka Palace, or the State Guest House, is one of the two State Guesthouses of Government of Japan in Tokyo. The palace was originally built as the Imperial Palace for the Crown Prince in 1909 Date: circa 1930

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Prague, National House of Vinohrady, Vinohrady

The Neo-renaissance building of National House of Vinohrady, Vinohrady catastral district, Prague, Czech Republic, October 31, 2018. (CTK Photo/Libor Sojka)