The lands where an ancient fortress once stood were known as
Columbine until the 17th century. They were acquired in the early 16th century by Jean Le Breton, France's Controller-General for War under
King Francis I, and a new
château was constructed around the original 14th-century keep where King
Philip II of France once met
Richard I of England to discuss peace. The château remained in the Le Breton family for more than two centuries until it was acquired by the Marquis de Castellane. During the
French Revolution the property was confiscated and in the early 19th century,
Emperor Napoleon acquired it for his brother
Jérôme Bonaparte. In 1906,
Joachim Carvallo purchased the property, financed by his wife Ann Coleman, who was an heiress to the
Coleman fortune. Extensive time, money, and devotion were then poured into repairing it and creating extraordinary gardens. Its famous
Renaissance gardens include a water garden, ornamental
flower gardens, and vegetable gardens. The gardens are laid out in formal patterns created with low
box hedges. In 1934, Château de Villandry was designated a
Monument historique. Like all the other
châteaux of the Loire Valley, it is a
World Heritage Site. ==Recent times==