The Basilique Saint-Urbain de Troyes is a massive medieval church in Troyes. It was a collegial church, endowed in 1262 by Pope Urban IV. The builders encountered resistance from the nuns of the nearby abbey, who caused considerable damage during construction. Much of the building took place in the 13th century, and some of the stained glass dates to that period, but completion of the church was delayed for many years due to war or lack of funding. Statuary includes excellent examples of the 16th century Troyes school. The vaulted roof and the west facade were only completed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Saint-Urbain is a classic example of French Gothic architecture of this period. The exterior has perforated gables with sharp points, narrow buttresses with many pinnacles, and openwork flying buttresses. The sober, elegant interior of the church is filled with light from the huge windows.
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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.