The castle of Angers, from Saint-Louis to King René

The Château d'Angers was built by Saint-Louis in the 13th century.

Its location in the city makes it impossible to look at it from a distance, and it is all the more impressive, presenting, in front of passers-by, about 1 km of thick walls, made up of slate blocks and tuffeau, and 17 heavy towers whose eviction of the foundations makes one think a little of huge elephant legs.

Models representing the different evolutions of the castle through the ages show that these towers bore conical roofs, then lost them, before losing several meters in height!

Much later, significant developments were carried out by the Dukes of Anjou, and in particular by the last of them, King René, who wanted to make Anjou "the garden of France". It is considered one of the precursors of modern horticulture, important, among other things, Mediterranean vines and plants.

The extremely massive appearance from the outside and completely offset by the lightness and delicacy of the interior buildings, which you will access using the original drawbridge.

Don't miss the round path on the ramparts, and the superb viewpoint that you can discover there.

 

The castle of Angers, up to the "Bout de Monde"

You can also discover a very beautiful viewpoint by extending to its end the "End of the World" promenade on which the drawbridge opens, and which ends with a cliff in front of the river. Beautiful panoramic view!

Inside, the visit of the buildings does not disappoint.

Among other things, we can admire the work of regional craftsmen who, after a fire a few years ago, restored a magnificent and complex framework to its original state.

 

The castle of Angers and the "Apocalypse Tapestry"

And of course, don't miss the "Apocalypse Tapestry", a unique masterpiece!

In short, plan a broad afternoon!

 

National estate of Château d'Angers
2, Promenade du Bout du Monde
49100 Angers
Tel: 02 41 41 86 48 48 77

angers@monuments-nationaux.fr
http://www.chateau-angers.fr/

 

 


To go further....

Le Château d'Angers

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Le château d'Angers, implanté sur des constructions néolithiques puis gallo-romaines, surplombe la Maine. Également appelé château du roi René (René Ier de Naples), il conjugue deux architectures qui s'imbriquent l'une dans l'autre : la forteresse de Saint Louis, avec le gigantisme de ses tours, aujourd'hui étêtées, et la massivité de son enceinte ; et le château de cour des dynasties d'Anjou aux élégants bâtiments et agréables jardins.
Angers et sa région

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Capitale de l’Anjou historique, Angers accueille, grâce à son riche patrimoine et à sa légendaire douceur de vivre, des visiteurs séduits par l’authenticité de cette cité millénaire traversée par la Maine. Outre des idées pour bien découvrir la ville, ses vieux quartiers, ses quais et ses parcs, les auteurs ont aussi sélectionné pour vous huit belles promenades faciles et instructives à seulement quelques kilomètres d’Angers.
Autours d'Angers et Saumur

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L'est du département de Maine-et-Loire: le Saumurois, le Baugeois, la vallée de la Loire, l'Anjou. Découverte du Parc naturel régional Loire-Anjou-Touraine.
21 balades exceptionnelles, 1 circuit en ville.

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