For centuries the Archbishops of Salzburg resided at the Salzburg Residenz and used the palace to present and represent their political status. Today the Salzburg Residenz palace is a museum and one of the most impressive attractions in the city.
The earliest recorded reference to the bishop's palace was in a document dated 1232. Construction began under Archbishop Konrad I. In the 16th century, several changes and additions to the structure were made. The bishop's palace took on its present appearance under the auspices of Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau (1587–1612). In the early 17th century, work began on the south wing, which included the addition of the large staircase and the Carabinieri-Saal, a section that connected the palace to the Franziskanerkirche and a large courtyard.
The successors of Wolf Dietrich continued to expand and refine the palace through to the end of the 18th century. Throughout the centuries, the palace served as the archbishops' residence, as well as a place of public gatherings and state affairs, all taking place in a setting that reflected power and grandeur.
Today, the Salzburg Residenz houses the Residenzgalerie, which presents paintings from the 16th to the 18th century, and Austrian paintings from the 19th century.
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.