The earliest recorded castle of Château de Challain-la-Potherie dates all the way back to the medieval age in 1050. The original castle was probably part of the ‘Les Marches de Bretagne’ a series of fortresses that acted as a defensive line that protected the people of the ancient region of France known as Brittany. That chateau, and many others that followed it were destroyed in the wars, and conflicts that wracked the area in the centuries that followed.
The current Château de Challain-la-Potherie was built from 1847 to 1854 in the neo-Gothic style, which was fashionable among the French aristocracy at the time. Its architect, René Hodé, designed many other châteaux in the same style in Anjou, but Challain remains the most imposing.
The 19th-century castle was commissioned by Louise-Ida de La Potherie, the last of her name, and her husband, the Count of La Rochefoucauld-Bayers. The choice of the neo-Gothic style was a means for them to restore the family's glory after the French Revolution. It was also a choice motivated by the tastes of the time, as neo-Gothic was in vogue among the Angevin aristocracy. René Hodé specifically adopted the troubadour style, which applied a neo-medieval decoration to a functional structure. The internal structure of the castle and its general layout followed the neoclassical architectural rules developed in the 18th century.
Despite its grandeur and significant place in the history of Angevin architecture, it suffered some degradation after the death of its patrons. It had numerous successive owners during the 20th century and served as a vacation colony center for about twenty years. Finally, in 2002, it was transformed into a luxury guesthouse.
The ancient Argos Theater was built in 320 BC. and is located in Argos, Greece against Larissa Hill. Nearby from this site is Agora, Roman Odeon, and the Baths of Argos. The theater is one of the largest architectural developments in Greece and was renovated in ca 120 AD.
The Hellenistic theater at Argos is cut into the hillside of the Larisa, with 90 steps up a steep incline, forming a narrow rectilinear cavea. Among the largest theaters in Greece, it held about 20,000 spectators and is divided by two landings into three horizontal sections. Staircases further divide the cavea into four cunei, corresponding to the tribes of Argos A high wall was erected to prevent unauthorized access into the theatron and may have helped the acoustics, but it is said the sound quality is still very good today.
Around 120 CE, both theaters were renovated in the Roman style.