Thread by @Culture_Crit

France has over 40,000 castles (and châteaus) - more than any other country.

These are the most breathtaking 🧵

1. Château de Pierrefonds, Oise (14th century)

2. Château de Chenonceau, Indre-et-Loire (16th century)

3. Château d'If, Frioul archipelago, Marseille (16th century)

4. Château de la Mothe-Chandeniers, Vienne (13th century)

5. Château de Costaérès, Trégastel, Brittany (19th century)

6. Château de Meauce, Nièvre (13th - 15th century)

7. Château de Septmonts, Aisne (14th century)

8. Château d'Azay-le-Rideau, Indre-et-Loire (16th century)

9. Château du Sailhant, Cantal (10th - 19th century)

10. Château de Najac, Aveyron (13th century)

11. Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg, Bas-Rhin (12th - 20th century)

12. Château de Chantilly, Oise (16th - 19th century)

13. Château de Saumur, Maine-et-Loire (12th century)

14. Château de Chambord, Loir-et-Cher (16th century)

Honorary mention (not a castle but a fortified monastery)...

15. Mont-Saint-Michel, Normandy (10th - 16th century)

Here's a map showing the concentration of castles in Europe:

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