The chateaux of the Loire, that today act as a magnet for thousands of tourists, bear witness to a magnificent past. They are, however, not only monuments in stone to the drive of kings to demonstrate their prestige in architectural form, they also reflect the developement of France in the 15th and 16th centuries on the road to absolute monarchy. This volume throws new light on the chateaux. It does not concentrate on the chateau as an individual monument, but on the chateaux in an historical and social context, their political and social symbolic function. Their location, structure and design provide us with insights into the deeper relationship between their architecture and the needs - in a period of upheaval - of those who ordered them to built. The essays and the abundance of illustrative material, including plans and elevation drawings, offer both the readers of this book and visitors to the chateuax a glimpse behind the facade of a chequered period in the history of France.