Culture of Angers. Places to visit - old town, temples, theaters, museums and palaces

The beautiful city of Angers has many historic symbols but Chateau d’Angers is widely recognized as the most important one. The first protective facilities on the site of the castle date back to the Roman Empire period. The construction of the castle that we can see today started yet in the 9th century. For hundreds of years, the castle was protecting the region. It survived in numerous battles. Chateau d’Angers endured many difficult times, but the stronghold became severely damaged during World War II.

At that time, there was a large ammo warehouse in the castle. When the warehouse exploded, the blast destroyed several nearby buildings. Today, the entire territory of the castle is open for excursions. You will have an opportunity to take a walk on the winding halls of the castle and explore its ancient halls. There is a gallery with an interesting collection of old tapestries in one of the halls. Almost all tourists, who visit the castle, get to the top of the Mill Tower as this is one of the best observation areas in the entire city.

Cathedrale Saint-Maurice d’Angers is one of the most outstanding religious attractions of Angers. The first church was built on this site more than a thousand years ago. That church was wooden and burned down during one of the city fires. It was decided to build a new cathedral instead of the burnt church at the beginning of the 11th century. The construction works ended in 1023. In the Middle Ages, many important Christian artifacts were kept in the cathedral, including the head of St. John the Baptist. Today, the cathedral is a unique architectural landmark with the decent traits of Gothic and Romanesque styles. Famous French masters helped to decorate the cathedral. The shrine still has skillfully made stained-glass windows made in the 13th century. Visitors can admire fabulous frescos with the images of saints and other artistic elements of décor. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Maison d’Adam or Adam House is an interesting architectural attraction that deserves a mention. This house, which was built in the 15th century, is a prominent example of the framework architecture. There are not many buildings of this type in the region. Centuries ago, the building belonged to a local pharmacist. Today, several artisan workshops and souvenir shops are open here. The building is carefully maintained to preserve its original look. Its inner premises also have beautiful elements of décor of the past centuries.

Don’t forget to visit the museums that are open in the city. For example, Musee Jean-Lurcat et de la tapisserie contemporaine is one of the most unusual museums in the city. The museum got its name after Jean Lurcat, the famous French tapestry artist who was born in Angers at the end of the 19th century. The museum is open in a 12th-century historic building. In the 19th century, there was a hospital open here. Today, the museum features an incredibly interesting collection of modern tapestries including the masterpieces created by Jean Lurcat. You can see some of the biggest tapestries in the world during an excursion here.

Art connoisseurs will find it interesting to visit Galerie David d’Angers. This gallery exhibits an interesting collection that is worth checking. The gallery got its name after the famous French sculptor David d’Angers who was born in Angers in 1788. d’Angers was a multi-talented person who was proficient in different types of art. The museum exhibits sculptures and paintings of the great artist, as well as bas relief pendants created by d’Angers. These pendants were very popular, and so d’Angers was making them for the most famous and prominent French personalities of the beginning of the 19th century. David d’Angers was collecting medals, and his collection is also exhibited in the museum.

It is worth mentioning Palais du Tau as this is one of the most unusual historic monuments in Angers. The palace got its name because of its unusual shape that resembles the Greek letter Tau. The construction of Palais du Tau finished in the 12th century. After that, the building was continuously expanded and rebuilt for several centuries. These transformations made the palace a combination of different architectural styles. If you take a closer look at Palais du Tau, you will notice different materials were used over the centuries to make the decoration elements.

Today, the building has elements made from limestone, tufa, and schist. Palais du Tau became a state-owned property in 1907. After reconstruction, a museum of religious art was opened in the palace in 1910. This museum has been open for more than a century. It exhibits collections of old icons and religious artifacts. A collection of old tapestries with religious scenes is a true gem of the wonderful museum. You can see the most marvelous halls of the museum during an excursion.