The village of Chinon lays below the chateau on the Vienne River.  This particular chateau was instrumental in the Hundred Years War between the English controlled territory and the French.  Joan of Arc visited here in March 1429 to tell Charles VII, the Dauphin of France, that she had a sacred vision that he would grant her an army to lift the siege of New Orleans.  He knew that this may aid him in his quest to become King of France.

The Chateau here is a recreation of the historical chateau which laid in ruin until recent times. The excavations and reconstructions were completed between 2003 and 2010 and cost about 14.5 million dollars.  It presently is a major tourist attraction in the area and holds interesting multimedia stories of the various eras that the chateau went through.