Château de Saumur, the castle of the Dukes of Anjou
Perched on the edge of a cliff, the Château de Saumur overlooks the town and the lush Loire Valley.
King Charles the Bold built an initial fortress and a monastery in the 9th century to house the relics of Saint Florent, who lived in the 4th or 5th century. These two buildings were destroyed during the Norman invasions of the 9th century.
Foulques Nerra, Count of Anjou (987-1040), seized the newly rebuilt fortress. The stronghold remained in the hands of the Plantagenêt family, the first Angevin dynasty and kings of England, until King Philip-Augustus seized it in 1203.
King Louis IX bequeathed it in 1230 to his younger brother, Charles of Anjou, the founder of the second dynasty of Anjou, who undertook significant restoration work.
Château de Saumur, the château of King René
At the end of the 14th century, Louis I of Anjou transformed the castle by adding the four octagonal towers with their characteristic pepper-pot roofs. He spared no effort in adorning and furnishing the castle, aiming to rival the grandeur of the residences of his brother, King Charles V.
In the 15th century, King René, the last Duke of Anjou, transformed the Château de Saumur into a refined Renaissance palace, imbued with comfort and elegance. With its multitude of turrets, towers, machicolations, and moats, the castle indeed harmoniously blends fortification and sophistication. The Château de Saumur was also depicted in the famous illuminated manuscript Les Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry (Book of Hours).
The star-shaped ramparts of the Château de Saumur were constructed in 1590, as Saumur was establishing itself as a significant Protestant stronghold. However, the revocation of the Edict of Nantes by Louis XIV in 1685 resulted in the closure of the Protestant Academy and the Temple, as well as the demolition of the ramparts.
The former Protestant school building was converted into a prison in 1804, then a garrison and an ammunition depot. The Château de Saumur then became the official residence of the governors of Saumur, who were responsible for the administration of the town.
Château de Saumur today
The city of Saumur acquired the castle in 1906 and undertook a vast restoration and renovation project.
Splendid tapestries from the Gobelins and Arras workshops were installed to restore the castle to its former grandeur, and two museums were created within the castle.
The private apartments once occupied by the Dukes of Anjou now house the Musée des Arts Décoratifs (Museum of Decorative Arts), which displays a large and varied collection of porcelain and earthenware dating from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance.
The second museum, the Musée du Cheval (Museum of the Horse), chronicles the history of riding and harnesses as well as the age-old relationship between humans and horses.
Department of Maine-et-Loire
Coordinates: Lat 47.257018 – Long -0.072404
Photo via Wikimedia Commons: King René Public domain
