The Royal Castle of Langeais in the Loire Vallely, built in 1465 by King Louis XI, is an excellent example of a late mediaeval fortress, with a drawbridge in working order and a parapet walk open to visitors. The interior furnishing is typical of the period, with sculpted wooden chests and fine tapestries. Fifteen wax figures give a lifelike representation of the secret marriage of Charles VIII and Anne Bretagne in 1491 when Charles was 21 and Anne only 16. A large park behind the château offers an excellent view of the Loire and even has (reconstructed!) mediaeval scaffolding.
Drawbridge, Château de Langeais
Sculpted wood bench doubling as a chest
One of the castle’s many tapestries
Banquet hall
Stone floor with fleur-de-lys and ermine cape
Wedding of Charles VIII and Anne de Bretagne in 1491
Four-poster bed and typical fireplace
Italian chest – one of a pair
View of town from parapet walk
Mediaeval scaffolding
Château de Langeais from the gardens
So you found your Langeais photos then?
I rather like the way traffic is directed in Langeais, the way it takes you right up to the chateau gate if you are coming from the north and heading for the bridge to cross the Loire. I imagine driving through the town in either direction freaks quite a few tourists out though :0
No, we went there yesterday. We didn’t drive through, to tell you the truth. Last time we were there (on our bikes), they were redoing the main road so this time we parked near the covered market and walked through. We also had ourusual cakes at La Maison de Rabelais.
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