Angers Day 2 - Chateau D'Angers

Angers Day 2 - Chateau D'Angers

 

Decided to slow down the pace a little today, had a later breakfast, then took the bus into town. First stop was the Office de Tourisme to get my bearings and a map of where to go. The lady in there was very obliging, and suggested a few places in town. My main targets were the Chateau and the Cathedral, but she also suggested I might like to go to a few museumsof fine arts and modern art... That idea didn't last very long, I have to say. Even though the multi entry ticket was cheaper, I decided to stick with plan I already had!!!

The Chateau was an amazing place. I don't know what I expected inside those foreboding walls, but it was gardens and a maze and trees and courtyards. Maybe I thought it was going to be rooms etc, but it was still really interesting,

Bu let's start with the outside.. here's a few pics to give you the general idea...

Will just copy a short extract from the pamphlet so you can see where it came from...

The site, a rocky  promontory overlooking the River Maine, has been occupied by man since the Neolithic Period.
In the 9th Century, the threat from the Normans led the Count of Anjou to settle there. Three Centuries later, when the powerful Plantagenet  dynasty reigned over the Anjou, a veritable palace was built there. 
In the 13th Century, the Regent Blanche of Castille had a fortress built as a place to mass royal troops.
In the 14th and 15th Centuries, the Duke of Anjou, Louis I, Louis II and King Rene, enlightened princes and art lovers, conducted a brilliant court life from within the shelter of their fortress.

At the end of the 16th Century, at the height of the Wars of Religion, a Governor of the fortress, Donadieude Puycharic, the representative of King Henry III (1574-1589) had the roofs of the towers and ramparts levelled. This adapted the fortress to advances in artillery. It was subsequently occupied by the Army and frequently acted as a prison.

It was  a beautiful, peaceful place inside, which belies its prison history.
Here's a few pics of the inside...

I climbed to the top of that tower and you could walk right around the ramparts along the top. The view from up there was outstanding. You could see for 360 degrees and get a real feel for the layout of Angers.

Here's a few pics I took from the top..

I loved the signs they had around that explained what all the bits and pieces were.... eg

And of course the crowning glory was the Apocalypse tapestry.

It is over100m long and was commissioned in 1375 by Loius I, Duke of Anjou, and brother of King Charles V. It i based on the Book of Revelation and recounts the prophetic visions of St John and the struggle between Good and Evil, which offered a realistic represenation of the period when it was created, with the Hundred Years War, famine and plague.

It was hard to get good pics, as no flashes were allowed but a few came out OK.

Just realised that this is getting a bit long, so might break the day up into 2 posts. Don't want to bore you all to death with detail, but I thought you might be interested to know where it all came from.

The next part of the day was back to the basics - Churches and lunch!

But this was well worth it's own post