Le Château d'Angers

Author’s Note: This post was written during my first week in Angers (back in February). I now present, in my last post while in France (there will be a few more in America), the Château d’Angers.

Flourish.

The Château. I saw many a picture in preparation for this trip, but none of them really do the castle justice. This thing is huge. And ancient. Its origins date back to something like the 12th or 13th Century. In my opinion, it is less of a castle and more of a fortress. Whatever.

First glimpse:

Note that the flag in this picture has three fleur de lis.

Side one of four:

Do you get an idea of the magnitude I’m talking about here? And this is the smaller of the sides.

In my life, I never though I would see a real mote. Surprise. There is a really big one here. Unfortunately, the water has since been drained and the sea monsters… well no one knows what happened to the sea monsters. There are some pretty gardens in their stead.

It is deeper than my swimming pool.

The front:

Allons enfants de la Patrie…

When I say Draw, you say Bridge. Draw!

There were workmen actually replacing the bridge, so it was not very photogenic. If you ever come to Europe, just be prepared for every monument to be under construction. Every one.

Cannon Balls!

Inside the castle walls sat a Church like building. The building wrapped in bubble wrap recently burned in an electrical fire. Not to worry, though. The French government is funneling millions and millions of dollars to restore it back to its former glory.

Note the weird trees. They are everywhere in Angers.

And a house built into the side of the castle.

Angers has its own kind of pretty.

Let's be honest though, there is more gray in this picture than on the head of any 95 year old bridge playing grandma. That is the Maine River in the background (and even the water is gray).

Back in the day, Angers was a huge producer of stone slate. How appropriate that nearly the entire castle is made from the local bounty. Here is a ramp in the castle made from slate:

And a wall outside of the castle.

Inside the castle rests one of the most impressive and largest tapestries in the world: the Apocalypse Tapestries. You see, that slate doesn't do the greatest job keeping the castle warm, so tapestries were commissioned to cover the walls of castles and keep them insulated. Unfortunately, this tapestry got cut up, sold, bartered, set aflame, used as a doormat, and dispersed through the years. However, much time and money has been spent collecting and restoring it to its former glory.

Believe me when I say it was impressive. No pictures were allowed unless I wanted a middle aged, very intense French tour guide to tackle me to the ground (no thanks). The tapestry is something like 4.5m high and over 100m long (~15ft x 330ft – that is to say longer than a football field). Some parts are missing and/or cut up, but the restoration was a definite success. The images recount the story of St. John’s Book of Revelation. Some liberty was taken, however, in the retelling of the apocalyptic literature (e.g. the English are always the enemy/devil).

The Château and the tapestry impressed me more than I though they would. I hope you can at least get an idea of the scale of this behemoth. Alas, pictures do this sort of thing little justice.

I admit that I’ve taken the Château in Angers for granted over the past four months. It really is a beautiful building in its own respect. And there is a certain reserved tenderness behind the intimidating architecture. Like a gentle giant, quietly watching over its city. But I wouldn’t want to get all poetic or anything.