The fine early Renaissance château is located on the edge of the Forêt d’Ivoy. The land was given to the Scot Sir John Stuart by Charles VII, in thanks for defeating the English at the battle of Baugé in 1421. However, the château was not built until the end of the 15th century, at which time Béraud Stuart, the grandson of John Stuart, returning from a campaign in Italy, constructed the main house to the side of the Chapel, that joined onto the Renaissance Gallery, which was built in 1525 by Robert Stuart, the son-in-law of Béraud Stuart and a comrade-in-arms of Bayard.
In 1670, the last Stuart of Aubigny died and the Château de La Verrerie, as laid down in King Charles VII deed of donation, was returned to the French crown. King Louis XIV, acting on a decree of 18 March 1673, gave the land back to Charles II, King of England, who was the direct male descendant of John Stuart. In the same year, at his request, it was given as a gift to his mistress, Louise de Kérouaille, Duchess of Portsmouth.
La Verrerie has a lovely Renaissance gallery with 16th century frescoes. There are also frescoes in the chapel, dating from the same period.
References:The Château du Lude is one of the many great châteaux of the Loire Valley in France. Le Lude is the most northerly château of the Loire Valley and one of the last important historic castles in France, still inhabited by the same family for the last 260 years. The château is testimony to four centuries of French architecture, as a stronghold transformed into an elegant house during the Renaissance and the 18th century. The monument is located in the valley of Le Loir. Its gardens have evolved throughout the centuries.