Medieval Castle: Château d'Angers

The medieval castle in Angers in France's Loire Valley is a must see for anyone interested in medieval history. The Château d'Angers is not only a stunning piece of medieval architecture and medieval castle design but its list of tenants over the centuries reads like the 'Who's Who' of medieval greats! Here are just some of the people who spent time at the Château d'Angers:

Henry II ~ Eleanor Of Aquitaine ~ Philip II ~ Catherine de Medici

Visiting the castle leaves a unique imprint on the mind - at least that's what we found. Its style and location as well as the colour and pattern of the stonework are like no other medieval castle we've ever seen before.The drawbridge at the entrance with its heavy chains makes you feel like you're walking back through time!

Read more about medieval castles in France on our main website.

Medieval Palace In Poitiers

Medieval castles of the greatest note usually have association with a great medieval ruler. One such example is Chinon Castle in the Loire Valley where King Henry II Of England died. His wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, survived him and lived until she was 80 years old. Her story is a magnificently colourful one and she is perhaps amongst the greatest, if not the greatest, of medieval women.

We are blessed to have been able to visit numerous places associated with Eleanor, particularly in France. Chinon is one example as mentioned above. Another is the city of Poitiers where she was educated as a child. The Ducal Palace in Poitiers was a focal point for Eleanor as a child as it was her grandfather who made it the main family residence after becoming Count of Poitou (he was already Duke of Aquitaine).

Here is a video clip of the inside of what was once the Great Hall in the Ducal Palace, now part of the law courts in the city.

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Medieval Chinon - Favourite Castle Of Henry II

Medieval castles come in all shapes and sizes; some are still in tact, others in ruins, some well known and some you've never heard of before. There are thousands of medieval castles around the world, each with its own story to tell.

One of the most fascinating and famous of all medieval castles has to be the fortress at Chinon in the Loire Valley, France.We were fortunate enough to visit Chinon last Spring and what an experience it was! The fortress occupies a fabulous location high up above the river Vienne, offering stunning views for many miles out across the French countryside and the ruins have been lovingly preserved, some even restored such as the Royal Quarters.

The history of the fortress at Chinon is incredibly colourful.There was a stronghold on the site as far back as AD 954 and many famous historical figures have been associated with the site over the centuries including:

King Henry II of England
Eleanor Of Aquitaine
Richard The Lionheart
Jacques du Molay (Knights Templar Grand Master)
Charles VII (Dauphin Of France)
Joan Of Arc

Henry II died at Chinon and was buried at nearby Fontevraud Abbey. When Henry's heir and successor Richard I (Richard The Lionheart) died in 1199 he too was buried at Fontevraud Abbey, at his father's feet by his own request. Just 5 years later, his mother Eleanor died and was buried alongside her son and husband. You can see all 3 tombs together at the Abbey.

Our visits to Chinon and Fontevraud Abbey are amongst the most memorable we have ever made to a medieval site and we are delighted to share with you a high definition movie/slideshow which we have painstakingly put together from the photographs taken on our visits. Thanks go to Stephen Caudel for provision of the music soundtrack. Here is our Chinon video

We also have a detailed profile on the history of Chinon castle and large photo gallery now on our website.

A Medieval Queen: Eleanor of Aquitaine

It is not often that we get the chance to talk about powerful women in the Middle ages. However Eleanor of Aquitaine had more power and influence than most nobles during the 12th century. She would be married to two kings and have as sons three more kings. On top of this she ruled with her second husband from the Scottish borders down to the Pyrenees.

Her inheritance was the Angevin Empire. Back in the 12th century there was no France as we know it today. The King of France basically ruled the area around Paris and the rest of France was in practice largely outside his control. The Lords who ran the dominions spread throughout France might have looked upon the King as their overlord but this was a relationship which could be challenged. The Angevin empire ran from Normandy southwards to Gascony and the border with Spain - interestingly it excluded Brittany to the west.

The broad outline of Eleanor's life is as follows ...

Dates
1122 to 1204

Marriages

Louise VII of France & Henry II of England

Children
10 children - 5 boys and 5 girls

2 daughters to Louis, 5 boys and 3 girls to Henry.

Other interesting points

Second crusade, revolt against Henry II

In popular fiction - "The Lion in Winter" plus many appearances in stories of Ivanhoe and Robin Hood.

For further details on Eleanor's life the Wikipedia entry is quite good. We hope to write more posts soon on this amazing medieval woman.