Chateau Langeais

Le château de Langeais was originally built as a fortress in the 10th century by Foulques Nerra on a promontory created by the small valley of the Roumer River at the opening to the Val de Loire[?].

Under the Plantagenet kings, the chateau was fortified and expanded by Richard I of England (King Richard the Lionhearted). However, King Philippe II of France recaptured the chateau in 1206. Eventually though, during the Hundred Years' War, the English destroyed it.

King Louis XI (1461-1483) would rebuild it into what today is one of the best known examples of late medieval architecture. It is especially noted for its monumental and highly decorated chimneypieces.

After nearly being totally destroyed during the Hundred Years' War, the chateau was rebuilt about 1465 during the reign of King Louis XI. Located on a cliff overlooking the Loire River, the Château appears dark and ominous, but the interior rooms are richly decorated.

The great hall of the chateau was the scene of the marriage of Anne of Brittany to King Charles VIII on December 6, 1491 that made the permanent union of Brittany and France. However, the fifteen-year-old Duchesse Anne, not happy with the politically arranged marriage, arrived for her wedding with her entourage carrying two beds.

In 1886, Jacques Siegfried bought Chateau Langeais and began a restoration program. He installed an outstanding collection of tapestries and furnishings and bequeathed the chateau to the Institut de France who still own it today. The chateau is open to the public.