Jacques Androuet du Cerceau

Without him, dozens of vanished châteaux would be unknown to us today. An engraver and architect active in the second half of the 16th century, Jacques Androuet du Cerceau is better known for his prints and books than for the buildings he actually designed.

His major work, Les Plus Excellents Bastiments de France, a meticulous record of plans, elevations, and views, offers a unique record of buildings that have since been destroyed or altered.

Two trips to Italy introduced him to the work of Palladio. As a Protestant, he had to seek protection from powerful lords to escape persecution, and he spent his final years near the Duke of Nemours, in Annecy, in the French Alps.