Since 1979, the Palace of Versailles has been listed as a World Heritage and is one of the greatest achievements in French 17th century art. Louis XIII's old hunting pavilion was transformed and extended by his son, Louis XIV, when he installed the Court and government there in 1682.
Chateau de Chenonceau is the most visited and photographed chateau of the Loire Valley in France. It is often described as 'the ladies chateau' as throughout its history it is they who have most influenced its design and its destiny...it was not always the chateau we see today.
In 1697, he published a collection of fairy tales pulled from French oral folklore, which was in vogue among intellectuals of the age. Legend has it that he was inspired by the Chateau d'Ussé, where he stayed as a guest, to write Sleeping Beauty.