Castle of Saumur

The castle of Saumur , Maine-et-Loire, is built with the confluence of the the Loire and Thouet, with the borders is Anjou and near the west of the Touraine.

History of the castle

The castle of Saumur knew its first fortifications under Thibaud, count de Blois, at the 10th century. In 1026, it became property of the count d' Anjou, celebrates it Foulques Nerra which bequeathed it to its heirs Plantagenêt.

Philippe Auguste, King de France and Capétien, annexed it to the crown.

In 1227, Saint Louis makes raise the fort become French then, starting from 1367, Louis I {{er}} of Anjou, grandson of Philippe VI, makes replace the old women round towers by octagonal towers.

The king Rene of Anjou, “good king Rene”, writer, cultivated man and builder of fortress (Tarascon) appreciably improves comfort of the unit.

At the 16th century, the Italian Bartolomeo reinforces defenses of the castle. Precursor, it made build around the medieval castle of low defenses, of the Fortin S (Bastion S) and Courtine S following a plan out of modern star astonishment one century before Vauban.

Less glorious, the castle became prison under Louis XIV and Napoleon.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the city repurchases it in the State and renovates gradually it.

The castle was immortalisé in the manuscript of the Très Rich Hours of the duke of Berry in the folio of September which represents the grape harvest with the foot of the castle.

The April 22nd 2001, the western part of the northern rampart crumbled and damaged part of the dwellings located downwards. It followed a building site of stabilization of the basement and rebuilding of the rampart which was completed in 2007.

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