St Mary's Church (Mariakirken) was the royal chapel and had an important political role, as its provost from 1314 also was Chancellor of Norway. It was built originally in 1050 AD, but rebuilt and expanded several times. Final additions made in the 1300s. In the beginning of the 14th century, it was the third largest church in the country, and in the Middle Ages it was the royal chapel. The church was set on fire by Swedish forces in connection with an attack in 1523. After the Reformation, it was so dilapidated that it could not be repaired and was demolished in 1542.
Excavations were first conducted in 1867 under Nicolay Nicolaysen and later in the 1960s under the leadership of Håkon Christie. Remains of two people, deemed to be King Haakon V (1270-1319) and his Queen consort Euphemia of Rügen, were discovered during excavations of the ruins of the church and reinterred in the Royal Mausoleum in Akershus Castle.
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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.
