The Château du Plessis-Bourré, a "transitional" castle
Buildings that have medieval characteristics but are already open to the Renaissance are often called "transitional" buildings. This is the case of this castle.
Its powerful keep is quite representative of a medieval construction, defended by a parapet walk, shooting slits and machicolations. Its square base, its four corner towers, its wide moat, its drawbridge with a wide passage for carts and carriages, and a narrower passage for pedestrians, constitute its powerful defenses.
But, at the same time, it is very far from the massive aspect of the medieval castles, because it presents a beautiful elegance, and the whiteness of its stone, which is reflected in the moat, enters in contrast with the slates of the roofs, the blue of the sky...
The philosopher's stone...
You will also be seduced by the interior, with superb, lively rooms, the Renaissance bedroom, the large living room and its country scenes, the kitchen with its gleaming copper... And the guard room with its impressive wooden ceiling, decorated with mysterious drawings which are said to give the secret of the "Great Work", that is to say the fabulous secret of the Philosopher's Stone!
Indeed, Jean Bourré, close to Louis XI, captain of the castle of Angers under Charles VIII, and who had the castle built in only five years, obviously had a strong interest in these occult sciences since this ceiling was made according to his directives. No one knows if it was these sciences, and this alchemy, that allowed him to live to eighty-three years of age, a rare longevity at the time.
Donkey Skin...
This dual medieval and elegant aspect obviously caught the eye of the directors. This is why the Château du Plessis-Bourré was used as a setting for Jacques Demy's "Peau d'Ane", for Philippe de Broca's "Le Bossu", for the twirling "Fanfan la Tulipe" and for "La Princesse de Montpensier".
Today...
Today, the castle can be visited, freely, or in a guided way. It can also be rented for large private parties or for corporate events. Finally, you can also sleep there, in the unusual cottages of the park.
Castle of Plessis-Bourré
49460 Ecuillé
Tel : 02 41 32 06 72
http://www.plessis-bourre.com/
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