CHâTEAU DE LANGEAIS
First we will have a look at the gardens
Plants and herbs on the higher level.
The way scaffolding was built many years ago
View on the lower gardens, the town and the river beyond
The Château de Langeais is a medieval castle, rebuilt as a château, in Indre-et-Loire, France, built on a promontory created by the small valley of the Roumer River at the opening to the Loire Valley.
Founded in 992 by Fulk Nerra, Count of Anjou, the castle was soon attacked by Odo I, Count of Blois. After the unsuccessful attack, the now-ruined stone keep was built; it is one of the earliest datable stone examples of a keep. Between 994 and 996 the castle was besieged unsuccessfully twice more. During the conflict between the counts of Anjou and Blois, the castle changed hands several times, and in 1038 Fulk captured the castle again.
After it was destroyed during the Hundred Years' War, King Louis XI (1461–1483) rebuilt Château de Langeais into what today is one of the best known examples of late medieval architecture.
Wikipedia
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It seems all the castles we visited had renovations going on. Probably a good thing, but still..
Under the Plantagenet kings, the château was fortified and expanded by Richard I of England (King Richard 'Lionheart'). However, King Philippe II of France recaptured the château in 1206. Eventually though, during the Hundred Years' War, the English destroyed it.
The château was rebuilt around 1465, during the reign of King Louis XI.
Boys will be boys!
A lay-out of the castle. Time we had a look inside.
In 1886, Jacques Siegfried bought Château Langeais and began a restoration program. He installed an outstanding collection of tapestries and furnishings; he bequeathed the château to the
Institut de France which still owns it today.
Jacques Siegfried
aimed to keep the most significant event that took place
in Langeais Castle alive: the royal marriage of Charlesl VIII and Anne of Brittany
in the year 1491.
We will see that this castle most significant details are the tapestries and tiled floors.
The heraldry of Anne is depicted in the tiles on the floor: the tails of the Breton ermine.
We also see the French fleur-de-lis, the heraldry of King Charles VIII.
The official marriage between Anne and King Charles VIII of France was celebrated in the Great Hall of the Château de Langeais on 06Dec1491, at dawn.
The ceremony was concluded discreetly and urgently because it was technically illegal until Pope Innocent VIII, in exchange for substantial concessions, validated the union on 15Feb1492 and granted the annulment to the marriage by proxywith Maximilian and also give the dispensation for the marriage with Charles VIII, needed because the King and Anne were related in the forbidden fourth degree of consanguinity.
The marriage contract provided that the spouse who outlived the other would retain possession of Brittany; however, it also stipulated that if Charles VIII died without male heirs, Anne would marry his successor, thus ensuring the French kings a second chance to permanently annex Brittany!
Wikipedia |
Another fine tapestry in the dining hall (end XV-century)
The table has been set!
Note the beautifully tiled floor again.
In the Middle Ages a bedroom was not just for sleeping, work was done there too, guests were received here
and there was dining too. Hence the rich decorations to impress others.
Only in the 15th century the bedroom was turned into a room for that specific use.
Schoolkids get a guided tour and it seems she is doing good as the kids hang on to every word
Obviously this bedroom accommodated small children too
Beautifully
decorated furniture
The weaving was done on apparatus such as this. Note the paper with drawing that was to be used as exemple.
In a very dark room, saving the priceless tapestries from
harm by (sun)light, hung these 9 tapestries
Photos © Ruud Leeuw
