Chambord, Chaumont and Chenonceau are the three most-visited châteaux in the Loire, but the French themselves love the lesser-known “les petits châteaux” for their intimacy, beauty and the stories they have to tell. Here are five of our favorites.

Château de Beauregard

Cellettes

A hunting manor that belonged to King Francis I was later transformed into a château by its successive occupants. Its most remarkable feature is the Portraits Gallery. Paul Ardier, King Louis XIII’s state treasurer, owned Beauregard from 1619 to 1638 and devoted the last years of his life to this project. The collection narrates 315 years of French and European history through 327 portraits of people who were the principal characters of their time. The gallery has a spectacular ceiling inlaid with lapis lazuli.