Chateau d'Angers
   Photos: Chateau d'Angers

Chateau d'Angers is located in the French department of Maine-et-Loire. The castle is located in the same city, and stands on the River Maine. During the Roman Empire on the site located fortifications.

In the IX century the episcopate Count of Anjou Angers allowed to build in the city castle. In the XII century, this territory became part of the continental lands of England, managed at the time of the Plantagenet dynasty. In 1204, French King Philip II conquered the county of Anjou, and Chateau d'Angers was expanded during the regency of Blanche of Castile - the mother of King St. Louis IX. This reconstruction of the castle, which took place in 1234, was worth more than 4 million French francs. In 1246, Louis gave the castle to his brother, Charles of Anjou, King of Sicily.

In 1352, King John II Kind Chateau d'Angers gave his youngest son Louis I of Anjou, who rebuilt the castle again. At the same time there was a castle in its main value - a series of tapestries representing scenes of Revelation, known as "Apocalypse Tapestry". These tapestries were ordered by the court to the Paris weaver Nicolas Bataille in 1373, and sketches of them were created by the Dutch artist Jean de Bondolem.

In the years 1405-1412 son of Louis I - Louis II of Anjou has attached to the castle chapel and the royal apartments. This chapel was named a saint, because it holds one of the relics of the Passion of Christ - a piece of the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. The relic was acquired by the French King Louis IX the Holy.

At the beginning of the XV century Angers castle found refuge young dauphin Charles, the future king of France, Charles VII. In 1562, when Catherine de Medici Chateau d'Angers again took the form of an impregnable fortress, but a few years later, during the reign of her son - King Henry III Tower and the castle walls were severely reduced in size and the remaining stone went to the building and strengthening of the city of Angers. However, the Chateau d'Angers could withstand multiple attacks forces the Huguenots, as the king to settle in the castle and established a guard post on the towers artillery.
  Chateau d'Angers could prove his defensive value, and a few centuries later - in the late XVIII century, the thick walls of the castle withstood a long gun bombardment during the War in the Vendée.

Then Angers castle houses a military academy for officers, where, for example, was trained great English commander Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, known for his victory over Napoleon Bonaparte at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

Throughout its history the Chateau d'Angers has never been captured by enemy troops, but he was seriously destroyed during the Second World War - it was blown up ammunition depot. And in 2009, due to a short circuit in the castle was a fire - burnt down part of the roof, damaged valuable tomes from the royal apartments.

Today the castle belongs to the city of Angers. To visit the open part of the ramparts, chapel and gallery of tapestries "Apocalypse Tapestry". You can also climb the mill tower and admire the view of the city from above.

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Chateau d'Angers
Botanical Gardens Angers
Gallery of David d Angers
House of Adam
Museum Jean Lurcat and contemporary carpet art
Abbey of Saint-Aubin
Museum of Fine Arts of Angers
City park Jardin du Mai
Cathedral Saint-Maurice
Abbey Roncero