South of Chartres, France, is beautiful countryside. We stayed off the big freeways and drove down small, back roads. It made the trip a lot more interesting, though navigation was a bit more difficult since the signs tended to indicate only the next town, which may or may not be on the map. We made a few stops in the countryside; we stopped for chocolate, and to tour a few castles (Chateau's). One of the more impressive ones was the Chateau de Saumur, which is the one in the Day book of the Duc of Berry. (Très riches heures du duc de Berry). The dungeon in this castle is still very intact, and it was a bit disconcerting to stand in the deep, dark, cold room that had only one entrance and one little hole in the wall to let in light. If the walls could have spoke they would have told really interesting tales.
We decided to stay and explore more thoroughly the town of Angers. Angers is located in the part of France that belonged to the English for a while, it was part of the dowry of Eleanor of Aquataine. Therefore the castle and town of Angers are built more in the Plantagenêt style. The castle has big, huge turrents different from the dainty turrets of the Chateau de Saumur. Educated princes and art lovers, Louis 1st, Louis II and King René had their brilliant courts at Angers, it was the official residence of the dukes of Anjou for centuries.
Inside the castle at Angers currently resides the Tapestry of the Apocalypse. The work was commissioned by Louis I of Anjou between 1373 and 1377 and it was probably finished in 1382. The tapestry was a ceremonial work used on solemn occasions such as the marriage of Louis II. Made of wool and using the techniques of warp tapestry, then hanging currently measures 103 meters long and 4.5 meters high (it’s REALLY BIG, biggest in the world). The tapestry represents 67 scenes from the book of Revelation. There are scenes relating to the battle and victory of the Lamb of God, Christ against the Great Dragon, The Ancient Serpent Known as the Devil, and Satan, Beguiler of the Universe. One of the most fascinating aspects of the tapestry (besides the fact that it is REALLY BIG) is that the back was done as a reverse of the front, and since it has been covered by a lining the colours have not faded and retain the brilliance that they would have had when it was made. The tapestry is currently displayed backwards, with the back showing so that the colours are very rich and vibrant. It is displayed in a darken room and the tapestry is behind glass which regulated temperature. The tapestry fills people with awe, it is just incredible the amount of work put into it. I of course was fascinated by the costumes, it may be one of the best costuming sources for this time period. Ask me if you would like more information on it, I bought some books which show the entire tapestry.
Angers has other wonderful sites, including one of the oldest hospitals, Hospital St. Jean. It was founded in 1175-1180 for Henri II Plantagenêt, Comte D’Anjou and King of England. It was originally built to help the poor, but later became a respectable hospital for kings and priests. By 1639 there were over 360 beds in the place. The building currently houses a modern art museum, there is quite a contrast between the art and the architecture. I spent a lot more time looking at the walls and the pillars and the doorways than the paintings! Angers of course has a beautiful cathedral. The earliest parts of the church date back to the 12th century, though, as typical in most churches, there were parts added each century. There are several Plantagenêt or Angevin vaults within the cathedral, so called because they were build in 1149 under Henri II. Each of the three vaults fits into a square, a perfect shape of 16.38 meter square, like the cupolas in the Cathedral at Angoulême. For those of you who are also interested in later history, in 1849 confectioner Adolphe Cointreau and his brother Edouard-Jean created a new line of spirits blended from the fruits of their native Angers region. This spirit (Cointreau) is dramatically different than most, it is a crystal-clear liquor with a distinctive taste of bitter and sweet orange peels. It is possible to take tours of the distillery and sample the product. I would advise anyone travelling in France to stop at Angers and spend some time wandering through its cobble stone streets and see (and sample) some of the sites.
Other Travels of Rowanna:
London|Shrewsbury|Ludlow|Clun|Cardiff|
|Chartres|Anjou & Angers|Cognac|Saint Emilion|Toulouse & Foix