anpre t chelangelo chiseled out the medici wealth made florence the e bleralub of ity-- to her, unrestrain airio fothe 16-ctu gataeian,e ghee led pntgs rmts ll moike gu he sdaserve. of brring edges into the background r depth and realism. this richly detailed painting, he finished. [bell ringing] it was a spirit of inquiry and a rebirth, a spreading wave of change that, in time, create cturies later, we travelers stand in awe of that rebirth. we go looking for the art, architecture, and vitality of europe's golden age in its timeless places-- the cities of italy and the countryside of france. "the countryside of france." just say it, and you begin to relax, to smile, eavit or daydream about a hunt. well, anticipating the hunt was the case with renaissance royalty and nobility. this is where they headed-- to the verdant, slightly hilly, breezy, and sunlit loire valley, ryurinhe road, they were confronted by a medieval fortress. with royal comrades to impress and money to burn, the high rollers bought up or took over the 12th-century fortifications that waited sir into extravagant 15th-centu