The little beasts carved on the balconies and ? ­ elsewhere around the cha ? ­ teau are the royal family 's personal em ? ­ blems ' including Louis XII 's porcupine , Fran ? ­ cois I 's salamander , and Anne de Bre ? ­ tagne 's ermine .
The carvings were placed during the reign of Anne de Bretagne .