Chateau de Saumur in France: a monastery, an impregnable fortress, a palace and a luxurious prison. Castle of Saumur: history

The Chateau de Saumur is located in the Maine-et-Loire department, at the confluence of the Loire and Thuey rivers. The name Saumur comes from the Latin expression "small fort in the marshes."

The first mention of the fortified settlement "Salmurum Castrum" in history refers to the raid of the Bretons, led by Nominoe (ruler of Brittany in 831-851, known as the "father of the Breton nation") on the lower Loire Valley in 848. Monastery of Monte Glonne (now Saint-Florent-le-Vieil in Maine-et-Loire) was completely devastated. The monks fled with the precious relics to find refuge behind the ramparts of Saumur. The erected fortification, however, turned out to be short-lived; in 853, the Vikings marched up the Loire and plundered Nantes, Angers and Saumur. The monks went into exile with their relics in Tournus (Saône-et-Loire), hoping to find the peace needed for their prayers.

Scandinavian raids stopped in the first half of the 10th century and the monks of Saint-Florent returned to Saumur. Count of Blois Thibaud le Tricheur (Thibaud I de Blois, nicknamed the Trickster or Fraud - the first Count of Blois, Chartres, Tours, Chateaudun, lord of Vierzon, Sancerre, Chinon, Saumur and Beaugency) offered them his protection and built a new fortress on the hill above the monastery Saint-Florent, which was finally restored. The castle played an important role in the struggle of his successors Ed I (died 996), Thibault II (died 1004) and Ed II (died 1037) against the formidable neighbor of the Count of Anjou Fulk III Nerr (987-1040).

In the battle near Pontlevoy on the Cher River, between Blois and Tours, not far from the fortress of Montrichard on July 6, 1016, between the forces of Fulk III of Anjou and Herbert I of Maine on the one hand and Ed II of Blois on the other, the fate of Ed was decided. This was one of the largest battles of early medieval France, which determined the balance of power in the Loire Valley for many years.

Ed, with a large force and many siege engines, tried to besiege Montrichard, but was attacked by Fulk north of Pontlevoy. Ed was forced to give battle without reorganizing his troops from the marching order. But at the beginning of the battle, Ed began to win; a horse was killed near Fulk, he fell, and his standard-bearer was killed. Fulk may have even been captured for a short time. But Herbert attacked Ed's flank from the west. Ed was defeated and fled, leaving his infantry behind, losing more than 6,000 men killed.

In 1023 Ed II gathered an army to try to capture the Angevin castle of Montboyau (of which almost no ruins remain) north of Tours. The commandant of Saumur sent most of his soldiers to help Edu, who was besieging Montboyau. Fulk took this opportunity to attack Saumur. He captured an almost deserted castle in a swoop. The commandant was put in a dungeon, and some of his associates were tortured. The Abbey of Saint-Florent again suffers from the plunder and devastation of Fulk's soldiers. Fulk had a strange character, in which the most extreme cruelties alternated with phases of deep and sincere repentance. He was frightened at the thought that he had offended the holy fathers and thus incurred divine wrath. He promised to build another monastery. He builds a new monastery a little below Saumur on the south bank of Thouet at the confluence of the Loire River (now Saint-Hilaire-Saint-Florent).

The fortress was burned in 1067 by the Count of Poitiers, Duke of Aquitaine Guillaume VIII (Gui-Geoffroi), during a conflict between the two potential heirs of Anjou: Geoffrey III the Bearded and Fulk IV. The latter's victory in 1068 led Geoffrey directly to the prison casemate at the Castle of Chinon. The fortress of Saumur was in turn rebuilt between 1068 and 1100. The castle of Saumur was built in the form of an irregular quadrangle, with round towers at its corners. The western and southern towers retain their ancient masonry to this day.

Saumur remained in the possession of the Anglo-Angevin Plantagenet dynasty until its capture by King Philip Augustus of France (1180-1223) in 1203. In 1246, the fortress was transferred to the apanage (part of the hereditary land holdings that were transferred to uncrowned members of the royal family) to Charles of Anjou (died 1285), brother of King Louis IX (1226-1270). Anjou returned to the French crown in 1328, and was later transferred to Louis I of Anjou again in 1356. It was this prince who completely rebuilt the castle of Saumur in 1367. Under him, the fortress acquired the features of a country castle. The Duke did not destroy the old castle, but only decided to make his own adjustments. He used the old building plan without changing it, but only adding to it. Based on the round towers, he built polygonal ones, which were complemented by high buttresses that supported a sentinel belt with jagged hinged loopholes.

Construction work was carried out at the castle between 1454 and 1472, and the chapel and royal apartments were rebuilt. After the death of the last descendant of the third House of Angevin, Rene, Anjou would return to the royal domain for the third time in 1480.

During the Wars of Religion, the future of Saumur changes dramatically. Henry III has to ask the King of Navarre for support. In the city of Tours, they signed an agreement stating that Henry III undertakes to cede the castle of Saumur to Henry of Navarre. Henry IV transfers military control of the fortress to Philippe Duplessis-Mornay.

On April 16, 1589, Henry of Navarre arrives in Saumur. He instructs the new governor to strengthen the fortress. King Bartolomeo's personal engineer designed a new plan for the castle and brought it to life. The castle was surrounded by bastions and ramparts, shaped like crescents, to withstand the fire of cannon batteries.

In 1621, Louis XIII decided to replace Duplessis, which marked the beginning of the decline of the fortress and the loss of its military significance. Louis XIII ordered the partial dismantling of its defensive structures. During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the castle of Saumur was used as a prison. The most famous prisoners of the prison were the Marquis de Sade and Admiral Kerguelen. During the war for the independence of the American colonies from England, 7,800 captured English sailors were kept in the castle.

In 1814 the castle was transferred to the Ministry of Defense and an arsenal was located in it. Saumur was declared a historical monument in 1862. Acquired by the city municipality in 1906, the castle was gradually restored and turned into a museum. In 1912, the partially restored castle was opened to the general public. During the interwar period, its eastern wing was restored. In 1940, the castle suffered serious damage. An ambitious restoration program began in 1997, but work was stopped after an unexpected disaster on April 22, 2001, when part of the northern wall collapsed on the city below. Its restoration began in 2004 and was completed at the end of 2007.

On the second floor of the north-eastern wing of the castle there is a city museum with a collection of medieval sculpture, ceramics, household and interior items and an exhibition on the history of the castle. The Equestrian Museum is located on the third floor. Free parking is located next to the castle.

The lock is open:

From April 1 to June 14 and from September 16 to November 2 from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10 to 13 and from 14 to 17.30.

Ticket price: 6 €

Ticket price: 6 €

Free for children under 7 years old

Ticket price: € 7

Free for children under 7 years old

Saumur Castle (château de Saumur) is located near the confluence of the Thue River with the Loire in the Maine-et-Loire department.

Historical chronicles

The first military fort on the site of the Saumur castle was built by the Count of Blois Thibault I in the 10th century. Later it was captured by the troops of the Count of Anjou, the new overlord rebuilt and strengthened the fortress. In 1203, under Philip Augustus, the important fortress and the surrounding lands became part of the royal domain.

In 1360, Louis I of Anjou rebuilt the fortress, and it acquired the features of a country palace. At this time, instead of the old round towers, polygonal ones were built with buttresses supporting their walls. In 1454-1472, the castle underwent even more significant changes, as a result of which only two small rooms remained from the old buildings.

In 1480, the castle of Saumur returned to the ownership of the French kings. During the religious wars, Henry III, in order to conclude an alliance with Navarre, was forced to cede it to Henry of Navarre, who transferred control of the castle to F. Duplessis-Mornay in 1589. Under his leadership, star-shaped fortress walls and watchtowers were erected around the castle according to the design of the Italian architect Bartolomeo.

Under Louis XIII, the owner of the Saumur castle fell out of favor and was deprived of his possessions, and the castle became a prison for two centuries. Among its most famous prisoners are Admiral Kerguelen and the Marquis de Sade. In the 18th century During the war for the independence of the American colonies, about 800 Englishmen became its prisoners. In 1811-1814, the prison was expanded by rebuilding and dividing the right wing of the castle into cells.

At the beginning of the 20th century. The mayor's office of Sumer bought the castle from the state for 2,500 francs. During the subsequent restoration, the stained glass windows of the chapel and the fireplaces of the castle were restored. In 1912, part of the halls of the Chateau de Saumur were transferred to the disposal of the regional historical museum.

Features of castle architecture

According to the original plan, Saumur Castle was built around the perimeter of a rectangular courtyard of irregular shape. High towers were erected at its corners. The walls of the southern and western towers contain masonry from the 13th century. In the central part of the fortress you can see the foundations of the donjon of a medieval castle built in the Romanesque style.


On the northwestern side of the castle there is a grand staircase, slightly protruding beyond the main volume of the main building. During the restoration of the castle at the turn of the XX-XXI centuries. Based on ancient drawings from the “Magnificent Book of Hours,” the decor of the southern wing of the Chateau de Saumur was restored. At the same time, the chimneys, pointed gables and pinnacles were restored.

Castle Museums

The collection of the Museum of Decorative Arts includes collections of works by craftsmen and artists from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. Several halls of the museum display French porcelain and faience of the 17th-18th centuries, products with Limoges enamel, antique furniture, tapestries, church utensils and priestly vestments.


The exhibition of the second museum, also located within the walls of the castle, highlights the historical stages of the use of horses in various countries of the world. The museum's exhibits are divided into several sections, which contain items of horse harness, a collection of works of art dedicated to this animal, and highlight the main areas of use of horses in the army, transport, agriculture and industry.

) is famous for two things: a magnificent castle standing on top of a cliff, and a riding school (Cadre Noir), where an amazing show is held for tourists every year. Another attraction of Saumur is the “troglodyte” caves. This was the name given to the houses where Huguenots lived during the religious wars in France in the 16th century. Nowadays, local authorities have restored these houses and opened them to tourists. Culinary lovers will be interested to know that there is a Mushroom Museum in Saumur. In this museum you can get acquainted with the technologies for growing these products. And yet the main city attraction is the city castle. Like many other castles in the Loire Valley, the Chateau de Saumur has undergone several major reconstructions since its construction. However, the castle has managed to retain its Gothic features.

Saumur Photos

The castle of Saumur is located on a rock that locals call “emerald”. The first castle on this site was erected by the Count of Blois, Thib Plutou. True, Tib did not remain the ruler of his castle for long. The famous robber of medieval France, Duke of Anjou Fulk Nerra, became interested in him, and quite quickly and without much loss added Saumur to the list of his possessions. Subsequently, the Geoffrey Plantagenet fortress was built here. And then the castle of St. Louis was built. In 1203, Saumur became part of the royal domain. A known enemy of the English and the House of Anjou, Philip Augustus captured the castle and its surrounding areas. Several decades later, during the regency of Blanca of Castile, the castle was significantly expanded and fortified. Obviously, the French intended to make Saumur a stronghold for an attack on the possessions of the English king.

Photo Saumur Notre Dame Church

True, only two years after the completion of the castle construction Saumur lost its military significance in . By order of King Louis the Saint, a new fortress was built in Angers, which then became the main fortress in this region for the French. In the 14th century, the castle of Saumur, through the efforts of Louis the First of Anjou, was converted into a luxurious residence for the duke. Louis decided not to destroy the original layout of the castle, but to rebuild it. Louis’s grandson, who was called “the good King Rene,” also spent a lot of effort and money on rebuilding the castle. It was in those years that the Chateau de Saumur was praised as the “Castle of Love.” After the death of Rene, the Duchy of Anjou lost the remnants of its independence, and Saumur completely passed to the French crown. The king had no plans for the castle at Saumur, and it was simply garrisoned with royal soldiers.

Photo Castle Saumur

The years of religious wars were very turbulent for Saumur. By the Treaty of Tours, King Henry III (the last of the Valois dynasty) ceded Saumur to King Henry of Navarre, who later became King of France under the name Henry IV. In Saumur, the majority of the inhabitants were Protestants, and Henry entrusted the government of the city to his friend Philippe Duplessis-Mornay. Mornay did a lot to strengthen the castle. He completely restored its military significance, surrounding the castle with powerful ramparts and deep ditches. Mornay did not forget about the city itself. For example, he founded the famous Protestant Academy in Saumur. In 1621, the new king, Louis the Thirteenth, replaced Mornay with a new protege. Since then, the castle of Saumur has completely lost its military significance. It was turned into a prison whose most famous prisoner was the Marquis de Sade.

In 1889 Saumur castle was removed from the list of military buildings (by the way, restoration work was carried out at the castle at the beginning of the 19th century) and declared a monument of historical significance. Since 1912, the Chateau de Saumur has housed the City Museum.

Where the River Tue flows into it.
There are 14 megalithic monuments in the area around Saumur, such as the 5,000-year-old dolmens at Bagne. This is an ancient funerary site in which important archaeological finds have been made.
The name Saumur comes from the words "sala", which means "wetland" in the pre-Celtic language, and the Latin "murus" - "city wall". In the first half of the 9th century. The first monastery of Saint Florent was built here. The Vikings, under the command of the leader Hastein, burned it in 845, and in 958 the settlement of Saumur and a new monastery appeared in its place. This year is considered to be the founding date of the city.
The settlement grew up around the castle of Count Thibault I of Blois (circa 910-975), nicknamed the Dodger, the first Count of Blois.
In 1026, Saumur was captured by Fulk III Heppa (970-1040), Count of Anjou, the blood enemy of the Counts of Blois. And until the beginning of the 13th century. The city was owned by the Angevins. Henry II, the first English king from the Angevin Plantagenet dynasty, often came to Saumur with his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine. Under the Plantagenets, roads and a stone bridge across the Loire were built in Saumur. The king allowed annual fairs to be held in Saumur, which replenished the city's treasury.
In the 13th century King Philip IV introduced a tax on salt (gabel), which caused mass riots, including in Saumur, which was chosen by the king to conduct trials of tax evaders ("salt courts").
Saumur entered the history of knightly France as the site of two major knightly tournaments: in 1241, the French king Louis IX the Saint (1214-1270) organized a tournament in honor of his brother with the participation of six thousand knights and warriors who did not have a knighthood. Another tournament - one of the last in the history of European chivalry - took place in Saumur in 1446 by order of the king and Duke of Anjou, Rene the Good (1409-1480).
The era of the Reformation, which began in the 16th century, found the city growing rich in the trade in wine and textiles. Protestantism quickly spread among the townspeople, who were eager to get rid of the interference in the life of Saumur by Catholic prelates, who influenced both municipal politics and the economy.
With the outbreak of the religious wars, Saumur took the side of the Huguenots, Catholic churches and monasteries in the city and surrounding areas were destroyed and plundered, and the prelates were expelled.
The city happily escaped the massacres of the Huguenots when St. Bartholomew's Night took place in Paris. Moreover, after this massacre, Saumur sheltered the Huguenot leader Henry of Navarre, who in 1589 concluded a treaty with King Henry III (1551-1589), and Saumur was recognized as open and safe for the Huguenots. The city was headed by Philippe Duplessis-Mornay (1549-1623), nicknamed the “Pope of the Huguenots.” Under him, the city flourished even more: a large Protestant church was built, a castle was put in order and a Protestant academy was founded, and intellectuals from all over Europe poured here.
However, with the repeal of the Edict of Nantes in 1685, the persecution of the Huguenots resumed, they began to leave Saumur, and the city lost two-thirds of its population.
In 1793, during the French Revolution, Saumur was captured first by the Vendean rebels, then by the Republicans, who executed everyone by guillotine until the fall of Robespierre's power.
The First World War passed Saumur by, but during the Second World War the city was subjected to severe bombing by German aircraft in 1940 and Anglo-American aircraft in 1944.

Wine and horses

The increased attention of the French kings to Saumur is explained, among other things, by its geographical location. The city is located relatively close to Paris, halfway to the ports of the Atlantic coast.
If the medieval castle in Saumur became its symbol, then wine and horses are the main source of income for the townspeople.
The city is surrounded by picturesque landscapes, in the heart of the Loire-Anjou-Touraine Natural Park, where islands of Mediterranean nature have been preserved. And underground, in the strata of limestone and shell rock, caves stretch for 1200 km. There are about 14 thousand of them here, half have not been studied to this day, and in those that have already been studied, traces of the habitation of primitive man and stone tools were found. Many galleries are used by Saumur wineries to age sparkling wines, and local farmers grow champignons in them, which are exported far beyond France.
Experts consider the conditions for viticulture in Saumur to be almost ideal, and all thanks to the climate, which here is transitional from temperate to continental, with hot and dry summers: air masses from the Atlantic reach these places, having already lost a significant amount of moisture.
Grapes began to be grown here under the Romans. The wine-growing area, located around the city of Saumur in the central Loire Valley, is famous for the production of red, white and rosé wine. White wines are made mainly from Chenin Blanc grapes, they are characterized by high acidity, and most of them go into the production of foamy Saumur wines, produced using the champagne method. Red and rosé wines are mostly made from Cabernet Franc grapes.
Along with winemaking, the production of liqueurs also developed, the fame of which spread far beyond the borders of France.
But the symbol of Saumur is still not wine, but a medieval castle built on the high bank of the Loire in the eastern part of the old city. With the repeal of the Edict of Nantes, the departure of many Protestant residents and the general decline of Saumur, the castle lost its grandeur: under Louis XIV and Napoleon Bonaparte, the castle was a prison, and then an army warehouse, remaining a private property. At the beginning of the 20th century. The city bought the castle, restored it and turned it into a museum. The Chateau de Saumur is one of the castles that, along with the other seventy-five castles in the river valley, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The oldest temple in the city is Notre-Dame de Nantilly, built in the first half of the 12th century. It contains unique stained glass windows depicting scenes from the 1571 naval battle of Lepanto between the fleets of the Catholic Holy League and the Muslim Ottoman Empire.
In 1999, a 20-meter equestrian statue made of welded steel pipes was installed at the entrance to the city, intended to indicate the fact that Saumur is the center of equestrian sports in France.
The history of equestrian sport in Saumur begins with medieval knightly tournaments. In the 16th century Philippe Duplessis-Mornay, who founded a Protestant university in Saumur, opened an equestrian academy there. In 1763, King Louis XV sent a detachment of royal cavalrymen, the elite of the French army, to Saumur. In 1825, by order of King Charles X of Bourbon (1757-1836), the Royal Cavalry School was opened in Saumur - for military and civilians, which became the main custodian of the French equestrian traditions.
At the beginning of World War II, cavalry school officers and volunteer townspeople defended the city from the advancing German army: the battle lasted a day and a half and became one of the most heroic pages in the history of Saumur.

general information

Location: west of France.
Administrative location: canton of Saumur, Saumur district, Maine-et-Loire department, Loire Land region, France.

Founded: 958

Language: French.
Ethnic composition: French people.
Religion: Catholicism.
Currency unit: euro.
Rivers: Loire, Thue.

Numbers

Area: 66.35 km2.
Population: 27,523 people. (2012)
Population density: 414.8 people/km 2 .
Average altitude: 57 m.

Climate and weather

Moderate.
Average January temperature: +4.5°C.
Average temperature in July: +18.5°C.
Average annual precipitation: 570 mm.
Relative humidity: 65%.

Economy

Industry: food (oil press, flour milling, fruit canning), winemaking (fizzy wines and liqueurs).
Agriculture: viticulture, growing champignons.
Service sector: tourism, transport, trade.

Attractions

Natural

Regional Natural Park of Loire-Anjou-Touraine (1996), karst caves.

Historical

Dolmen Banier (4000-2000 BC), castle (X-XVI centuries), town hall (XVI century), stone bridge (mid-XVIII century), State riding school (1825).

Cult

Temple de Saint-Lambert (10th century), abbey of Saint-Florent-de-Saumur (founded in 1026), temple of Notre-Dame de Nantilly (first half of the 12th century), church of Saint-Pierre (second half of the 12th - beginning of the 13th century) Chapel Saint-Jean (first half of the 13th century), Notre-Dame de Ardilliers (1534-1696).

Cultural

Museums of armored vehicles, horses, mushrooms, stones, education and engines.

Curious facts

■ In the Loire-Anjou-Touraine Regional Natural Park, stretching from the Loire to Vienne, the 30-metre white sandstone Chinon Hills dominate the valley. These unique natural formations are in special temperature conditions, thanks to which Mediterranean vegetation (wild orchids) and fauna (feathered birds - hoopoe) have been preserved.
■ The dolmen in Bagniers is the largest of the 4,500 dolmens in France: length - 18 m, height - 3 m, width - more than 5 m. The dolmen of 16 vertically installed stone blocks is located on land owned by a private individual, and is itself private property, although access to it is open to everyone.
■ Count Thibault I de Blois, the first owner of the castle in Saumur, received the nickname Plut from his contemporaries. The count betrayed his lords with extraordinary ease. At first he was a loyal vassal of Hugo the Great (about 897-956), Duke of the Franks and Aquitaine, and then went over to the side of Lothair I (941-986), an emperor from the Carolingian dynasty.
■ At the beginning of the 15th century, during the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453), Saumur became the residence of Queen Yolande of Aragon (1379-1442), wife of the king and Duke of Anjou, Louis II (1377-1417). In 1428, in the struggle for the French throne, Yolande of Aragon supported the national heroine of France, Joan of Arc, paying the costs of her army.
■ During the Reformation, the confrontation between Huguenot townspeople (Protestants) and Catholics from the king’s entourage was so great that in 1565, when the French king Charles IX (1550-1574), accompanied by his mother Catherine de’ Medici, visited Anjou, the inhabitants of Saumur refused open the city gates for him. It was at this time that the army of one of the Protestant leaders, Prince de Condé (1552-1588), was in Saumur.
■ For the construction of urban buildings in Saumur, tuff mined in the Loire Valley was widely used. Possessing high decorative properties and easy processing, this stone is a valuable finishing building material. But at the same time, it is fragile, which is why many decorative details of Saumur buildings have to be periodically restored.
■ At the beginning of the 21st century. The facade of the southern wing of the castle in Saumur was restored as it appears in the Magnificent Book of Hours of the Duke of Berry, an illustrated manuscript of the 15th century. In accordance with the image of the castle in the Magnificent Book of Hours, grapes grow on the slopes surrounding the bastions. This contradicts the truth: in the Middle Ages it was forbidden to plant grapes at such a close distance from the fortress wall, since its roots would destroy its foundation.
■ During the French Revolution in 1793, the Notre-Dame de Nantilly church was first converted into a prison, then pigs were kept in it, and in 1795 the revolutionary Temple of Reason opened there.
■ The collection of exhibits at the Museum of Armored Vehicles in Saumur is one of the largest in the world: 880 armored vehicles, 200 of them on the move.

Another unusual castle of the Loire, the Chateau de Saumur, stands out among others for its interesting approach to the design of its turrets.

As is the case with most of the castles of the Loire, many events took place here, from the construction of a small wooden fortress by Thibault Plut de Blois, almost immediately captured by Fulk Nerra, and ending with the construction of the fortress of Geoffroy Plantagenet, on the ruins of which the castle of Louis IX was subsequently built, from which, in fact, the history of the Saumur castle began.

In 1203, these lands came into the possession of Philip Augustus. Initially, the castle was intended to protect the lands from attacks, but literally a couple of years later it was relieved of this function by the castle of Angers, built next door, which transferred this burden to itself.

The four corners of the castle of Saumur were crowned with round towers, the western and southern of which have almost completely survived to this day. Saumur began to turn into a sophisticated royal residence in the 14th century, through the efforts of Louis I of Anjou. Moreover, the king did not destroy the legacy of his ancestors, but only gave the castle more regular shapes, replacing the round towers with polygonal ones and decorating them with high buttresses supporting a jagged guard belt.

The grandson of the king, Rene of Anjou, continued his grandfather’s work and allocated unprecedented sums for the improvement of the castle, and later, inspired by the appearance of the finished castle, he sang it in his novel “Hearts Captured by Love” as the castle of Love. Unfortunately, only a small part of what King Rene built has reached us.

Since then, royal garrisons have been stationed in the castle twice, and after Saumur passed into the hands of the King of Navarre, the castle turned into an almost impregnable fortress, acquiring a battlement with watchtowers, most of which also did not survive to our times, because at the end of the 16th century, the castle almost completely turned into ruins.

In the 17th-18th centuries, the castle of Saumur served as a prison for high-ranking officials, who, however, hardly felt very disadvantaged, because had the right to travel to the city, have a small retinue and even dine with His Majesty's Lieutenant. For example, in 1768, the notorious Marquis de Sade was held here for two weeks before being transferred to Pierre-Ancise prison.

View of the medieval bridge and Saumur castle.

And this is a view of the fortress from that very bridge.

During the War for American Independence, about 800 prisoners of war were kept within the walls of the castle, as evidenced by the wall inscriptions and drawings they left behind.

At the end of the 19th century, the castle of Saumur was included in the list of historical monuments of France, and in 1912 it was converted into a museum, for which quite large-scale restoration work began in 1906, which, however, still could not return the castle to all its former glory. greatness. But even such partial restoration allowed Saumur to make an unforgettable impression on visitors.

http://lifeglobe.net/

Speaking about the beautiful and unusual architectural masterpieces located in the picturesque Loire Valley, one cannot fail to highlight the Saumur Castle. A castle that looks like a sorcerer’s home or a haunted house. Despite its unique, one might even say fabulous and slightly terrifying appearance,

The Chateau de Saumur in France has never been inhabited by people inhabited by supernatural powers and there have never been any recorded signs of paranormal activity. In fairness, it is worth noting that Saumur makes a gloomy impression only from a distance; when approaching it, you come to the understanding that in front of you rises one of the most beautiful architectural structures, which has become a model for all buildings in the city of the same name.

The castle of Saumur has the shape of an irregular quadrangle, at the corners of which there are round towers. The western and southern towers still retain their 13th-century masonry. The eastern tower has been restored, its vault is decorated with the coats of arms of the Angevin family. Ancient and magnificent Saumur with its white towers and walls sets the tone for the architecture of the entire city, towering above it.

The grandson of Louis I, René, who went down in history as a king-poet, praises Saumur as the castle of Love, not skimping on colorful epithets.

This castle is so beautiful that King René the Good (of Anjou) chose it to describe the castle of Love in his novel “A Heart Captured by Love.” This castle was built on an emerald rock. The walls of the castle were made of pure crystal, and at the end of each wall stood a tower made of ruby ​​stones that glowed with a bright light. The towers were covered with platinum, and the house itself was covered with tiles made of pure gold, on which the motto of the God of Love was inscribed in enamel: “To a trembling heart.” This is how King Rene described Saumur, one of the legendary castles in France.

At this moment, the castle rises above the city, with high turrets and chimneys made of white stone reaching into the sky. The beauty of the castle, dominating the city, even sets the tone for the architecture of all other buildings. Very little has survived from the buildings from the time of King Rene. Just two vaulted rooms located in the tower adjacent to the main one, a chapel decorated with sculpted coats of arms on the vault. After the death of King René in 1480, the castle again became the property of the crown and a military garrison was placed in it.

In the very heart of France, among vineyards and lush green meadows, the ancient town of Saumur lives its quiet and measured life. Its name comes from the Latin “sol murus”, which means “small fort in the swamps”.

The history of this place is shrouded in fog. It is reliably known that in the 10th century the Count of Blois built a small monastery and a military fort here. From this moment the history of Saumur Castle begins.

The first owners of the castle: Counts of Blois and Louis 1 of Anjou
As mentioned above, according to the official version, the first building on the site where the Saumur castle is now located appeared in the 10th century. The documents say that Count Tybalt the Evil, from the famous dynasty of Blois, built a monastery and fortress in the place where the Loire and Thues merge.

The Count of Anjou recaptured this fortress from Tybalt the Evil (Count de Blois). He completed the then weak tower, expanded it, and strengthened it. The fort was then rebuilt by Geoffroy Plantagenet.

And in 1203, Philip Augustus included the castle of Saumur as part of the royal lands.

According to historians, during the regency of Blanche of Castile, a powerful fortress was erected on the site of the fort so that the French Crown could regain Angers and Anjou, lost at the conclusion of the Treaty of Vendôme. Saumur was not a military fortress for long - only two years from the time of construction.

In 1360, Louis I of Anjou took possession of Saumur, and through his efforts the old, rough fortress acquired the features of a country castle. He significantly ennobled the castle, which looks like an irregular quadrangle with towers at the corners. Thus, the fortress towers, which had a cylinder at the base, were erected by his order as octagonal.

Two of the existing towers have preserved their masonry from the 13th century, and the East Tower is richly decorated inside and decorated with images of the coats of arms of the Dukes of Anjou. It should be noted that Louis does not destroy what was created by his predecessors, but somehow ennobles the structure and gives it elegance.

For example, the buttresses of the towers support a sentinel belt, also made at a very high artistic level. Construction continues for quite some time. Since 1454, huge amounts of money for those times have been invested in construction.

The following changes occurred with Saumur in 1454.

According to the intendant's records and accounts kept in the National Archives, we can say that work was carried out at the castle in the years 1454 - 1472. Their scale and grandeur can be judged by the funds spent. All that remains from the early buildings are two small vaulted rooms located in a square tower, a chapel on the second floor and an alley leading from a steep slope to the tower.

Rene of Anjou and second wife Jeanne de Laval. Diptych by Nicolas Froment. 1475-80. Louvre. Paris

In 1480, after the death of King René, the Duchy of Anjou came into the possession of the French Crown. The castle houses the royal garrison.

But in the next century, after the Reformation, the fate of the castle changed dramatically again. In the face of aggravated religious differences, the castle of Saumur is transferred to King Henry IV, the king of Navarre, whose help the French king needed. He immediately entrusts the leadership of the castle to his ambassador Philippe Duplessis-Mornay, who immediately sends his troops into the castle.

Henry!U of Navarre (right) and Philippe Duplessis-Mornay (left)

Moreover, Henry IV considers the castle as an important outpost for his further advance into the Loire Valley, and gives the order to immediately begin strengthening the fortress, regardless of costs. Under the leadership of the engineer Bartolomeo, a fortress wall with bastions grew, which still exists today. Duplessis-Mornay was not only a military man devoted to the king, but also an outstanding theologian of his time. He also glorified the castle by establishing a Protestant academy in 1593, which was famous throughout the country for almost a century.

In 1589, on April 15, Duplessis-Mornay brought his garrison into the castle. A day later, the King of Navarre arrives in Saumur. He, rejoicing at having received such a “tidbit” of the Loire, gives the new governor the order to strengthen this place. To do this, King Bartolomeo’s engineer arrives at the fortress; he is tasked with “without skimping on anything” to draw up a design for the castle and bring it to life. He erected city fortifications, a fortress wall with battlements and watchtowers, which still surrounds the castle.

Arriving in Saumur, Mornay and his family settled in town house No. 45 on Grand Rue. But in 1596, he decides to settle in the castle due to a conspiracy of the townspeople who threatened the ambassador to seize him and commit reprisals. To bring the castle into a habitable condition, Duplessis-Mornay had to spend a considerable amount, but these costs were justified. An experienced diplomat and former military man, Mornay was also a learned theologian. And in 1593, he created a Protestant academy in the castle, which brought glory to the city for a whole century.

Duplessis-Mornay managed the castle for more than thirty years. But, despite his devotion to the crown, he nevertheless fell out of favor because of his religious views and in 1621 he was replaced by order of Louis XIII with a Catholic ruler. From this moment on, the castle completely loses any influence and begins to deteriorate and collapse. For the next two centuries it functions as a prison. But not quite ordinary.

Representatives of the nobility served their sentences in Saumur, often accused simply by denunciation. At that time, the attitude towards noble prisoners, especially of ancient families, was more than loyal. They were allowed to have a servant with a small retinue and leave the castle. Often such prisoners were invited to celebrations in the house of the city governor.

Admiral Kerguelen (left) and Marquis de Sade (right)

In fact, they led their usual way of life. Of the most famous prisoners, only the Marquis De Sade can be named, who stayed in the castle for two weeks. Admiral Kerguelen also “stayed” here for 4 years, for leaving his ship on the high seas, leaving all the people on the ship to the mercy of fate.

It is also reliably known that during the American War of Independence, about eight hundred captured English sailors were kept in Saumur. This fact is confirmed by graffiti depicting ships left on the walls. But their conclusion, of course, was not of such a free and cloudless nature, and none of the city fathers invited the sailors to dinner.

Le Château de Saumur, façade sud. Miniature de septembre dans Les Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry, vers 1440, musée Condé,

The next restoration of the castle was undertaken from 1811 to 1814, but it was not of any cultural nature. The changes affected only the galleries of the north-eastern wing, and their essence was to divide the space into as many chambers as possible. At that time, only those prisoners who could not pay for a separate cell were kept in general cells. Apparently, a significant increase in the number of solvent “guests” was expected. Fortunately, soon after these changes were made, all prisoners were released.

Saumur a little later, in 1889, ceased to be considered a military fortress and over time received the status of a historical monument. The city bought it from the state for a purely symbolic sum and finally began full-scale restoration work and excavations.

As a result of these works, room windows decorated with sculptural carvings, fireplaces and amazingly beautiful stained glass in the chapel were discovered. Unfortunately, much of the era of the 14th century can no longer be restored and has been lost forever.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the city of Saumur bought the castle from the state for 2,500 francs (a small amount) and decided to restore it. This idea was implemented at the expense of the city and the administration of the Academy of Fine Arts.

Unfortunately, the restoration, which was carried out very carefully and painstakingly, was unable to recreate the splendor and elegance that were inherent in 14th-century Saumur.

Nowadays, since 1912, the completely restored north-eastern wing of the castle houses the Municipal Museum. Its exhibition features porcelain products from the 19th century, as well as an interesting collection of Flemish tapestries. On the third floor of the castle there is a very unusual horse museum.

In such an unusual way, the amazing fate of a unique historical monument developed. One of the most beautiful castles in France has become a fortress, a country estate, a prison, and even a horse museum. But his true character was forever immortalized by the king-poet, who in his novel wrote on the roof of Saumur the motto of the true god of Love - “To a trembling heart.”

Information for tourists

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April 01-June 30 and September 01-November 03: 10:00-13:00 / 14:00-17:30 (Tuesday to Sunday)
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