On their return from the Italian Wars, French lords discovered the splendours of the Italian Renaissance and applied them to their homes. Chambord, Chenonceau, Azay-le-Rideau embody this fusion between the French tradition of verticality and transalpine aesthetic canons: pilasters, sculpted pediments, ornate dormers and Italian-style gardens. The château loses its strictly defensive vocation to become a prestige residence, a symbol of refinement and power.