The Château de Coudray-Salbart is a ruined 13th-century castle in the commune of Échiré. Its architecture is remarkable, having never been altered. Notably, the castle supports spurs of almond wood.
The lords of Parthenay-Larchevêque gained control of the Coudray-Salbart site in the 12th century. In 1152, Eleanor of Aquitaine married Henry Plantagenet, who became the King of England in 1154, leading to the Poitou region falling under English rule. The fortress of Coudray-Salbart, built in the early 13th century, became a focal point in the conflicts between the French Capetians and the English Plantagenets.
The castle was however lost its purpose already in the 15th century and was ruined. Today beautiful ruins exist.
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.