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War Castle of Angers |
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| Some Facts: Angers is built on a solid slab of rock, the only solid rock of that size in the Loire valley. It has 17 defensive towers and 2 wells inside. it was built to withstand a siege of 2 years if necessary. I comes complete with portcullis and murder holes at both of it's entrances. The original castle was later surrounded by the wall that now marks the castle perimeter. | address:2, promenade du
Bout du Monde 49100 ANGERS 02.41.86.81.94 |
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| Angers castle is a 13th century
fortress perched on a rocky promontory over-looking the Maine. Inside its
ramparts, structures dating from the 14th, 15th and 18th centuries permit
visitors to see how the castle evolved over the years. The earliest signs of
human occupation of the site in fact date back 4,000 years. The counts of
Anjou first built a stronghold here in the 9th century to defend themselves
against the attacking Normans. Of this structure only the two side walls of
the great hall, including a 12th century door, plus the apse of the chapel
of Saint Laud, now remain. Following the expulsion of the Plantagenets by
Philippe Auguste, in 1230 the young Saint-Louis began building an enormous
fortress of some 2000 mē around the old counts' stronghold to defend his
realm against the threat posed by the neighbouring duchy of Britany. This
construction was flanked by 17 towers and had only two doors, a town door
and a country door. In 1360, the dukes of Anjou started to erect new
buildings inside the fortress, including the Royal Lodge, the chapel, and
the inner castle.
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