Angers Castle

Anjou has two outstanding châteaux, one in Angers and the other in Saumur. Both started as true defensive castles but Saumur gradually took on the more homely look and function of a château. While Angers castle overlooks the Maine, Saumur gazes out across the Loire. There are 60 other châteaux, manor houses and country estates that are also open to the public. Notable for its height is the château at Brissac; for its stunning architecture, the château at Serrant; as the favourite residence of Ki...

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Anjou has two outstanding châteaux, one in Angers and the other in Saumur. Both started as true defensive castles but Saumur gradually took on the more homely look and function of a château. While Angers castle overlooks the Maine, Saumur gazes out across the Loire. There are 60 other châteaux, manor houses and country estates that are also open to the public. Notable for its height is the château at Brissac; for its stunning architecture, the château at Serrant; as the favourite residence of King René, the château at Baugé; and famed as the setting of a love story by Dumas, the château at Montsoreau. The château at Plessis-Bourré is the castle of fairy tales while Angers castle is where the history of France and England was written. A thousand years ago, the bellicose Fulk lll founded the House of Anjou. This was to have a significant influence for three centuries. During this time the province’s main castles were built. Two centuries later, King Louis IX (Saint Louis) built Angers, the most heavily fortified and imposing castle in the Loire valley. The Plantagenets (who took over the English crown) continued the building spree with more castles, bridges and protective embankments along the river. In the fifteenth century, René of Anjou became king of the province and was known fondly as “Good King René”. He went on to turn castles into châteaux and influenced a trend for Italianate manor houses. After the French Revolution (1789), an architect, René Hodé, introduced a neo-gothic style and oversaw the construction of splendid edifices across Anjou while other architects turning their talents to more modest buildings. The province contains a whole history of architectural styles displayed at their best. Among the stately homes that were built, many are still lived in by families that have been there for hundreds of years. Brissac, Serrant, Montgeoffroy, Montreuil-Bellay, la Lorie, and le Plessis-Bourré are all homes where generations have contributed to collections of furniture, objet-d’art and paintings that now bring history to life. Châteaux open to the public also offer additional attractions. At Montsoreau a show “Stories of the Loire” is played to great effect, while Saumur has a number of museums, Angers has its Apocalypse Tapestry, and Baugé and le Plessis-Macé host the Anjou Festival.
Last but by no means least, at the châteaux of Brézé, Durtal and Challain-la-Potherie you will enjoy a memorable experience as owners with a passion for history bring sleeping beauty to life and reveal stories written in the dust of time. Source: http://www.anjou-tourisme.com, www.anjou-tourisme.com

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