Angers

The site of the castle has been occupied by man since neolithic times. The Counts of Anjou built the first castle in the 9th century as a defence against the Normans. In the 13th century Louis IX rebuilt the castle in whitestone and black slate, with 17 semicircular towers, the essence of the building we see today. In the 14th and 15th centuries the Dukes of Anjou, Louis I, Louis II, and King Réné conducted a brilliant court life from within the shelter of the fortress. The castle also hosts the huge medieval Apocalypse Tapestry (see the separate listing).

The Apocalypse Tapestry (displayed in a 20th-century building within the Château d'Angers and included in the entrance fee) is a large set of medieval tapestries commissioned by Louis I, the Duke of Anjou, and woven in Paris between 1377 and 1382. It depicts the story of the Apocalypse from the Book of Revelation by Saint John the Divine in colourful images, spread over six tapestries that originally totalled 90 scenes, and were about six metres high, and 140 metres long in total. The surviving tapestry is about 103 metres long with 71 scenes. It is the most significant, and almost the only, survival from the first decades of the great period of tapestry, when the industry developed large workshops and represented the most effective art form for exhibiting the magnificence of royal patrons, not least because large tapestries were hugely expensive.

The Jardin du Mail is a historic 19th-century French formal garden located in the city center of Angers, France, situated directly opposite the town hall. Designed in its current layout by landscape architect André Leroy, the public park features symmetrical flowerbeds, a central fountain, an ornate 19th-century bandstan, tree-lined promenades, and several classical sculptures.

The Jardin des Plantes is a historic botanical garden and the primary site of the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle in Paris, France. Established nearly 400 years ago as a royal medicinal garden and reorganized as a public botanical facility in the 1790s, the property features extensive plant collections, specialized greenhouses, two small ponds, and numerous statues, alongside historic structures such as the former Church of Saint-Samson.

Angers Cathedral was constructed primarily in the 12th and 13th centuries. It is renowned for its harmonious blend of Romanesque and Gothic styles, characterized by its distinctive twin spires and richly decorated portal. Inside, visitors can admire an impressive collection of medieval stained glass, including the remarkable 12th-century “Tree of Jesse” window.

The Château de Brissac is a noble residence located in Brissac-Quincé, in the Maine-et-Loire department of the Loire Valley, France. Standing at 48 meters (157 feet) high, it is officially the tallest castle in France, featuring seven stories and over 200 rooms, which has earned it the nickname "Giant of the Loire Valley". Originally constructed as a medieval fortress in the 11th century, the estate was acquired in 1502 by the Cossé-Brissac family. It was rebuilt in the 17th century, incorporating Renaissance and Baroque architectural facades alongside its surviving medieval towers. Still owned by the Duke of Brissac, the château features a private 19th-century opera theater, a grand gallery with ornate painted ceilings, and period furnishings, all set within extensive parklands and family vineyards.

The Château de Serrant is a historic Renaissance castle located in Saint-Georges-sur-Loire, in the Maine-et-Loire department of the Loire Valley, France. Rebuilt in 1539 by architect Jean Delespine on the site of a 15th-century medieval fortress and completed with 17th-century additions, including a chapel designed by Jules Hardouin-Mansart, the estate was classified as a historic monument in 1948. Surrounded by a wide moat and an English-style landscape park, the château is noted for its architectural symmetry, period interior furnishings, vaulted underground kitchens, and a historic library containing over 12,000 volumes.

Housed in the 12th century St. Jean’s Hospital buildings. Since 1967, “Le chant du monde” (the song of the earth) by Jean Lurçat is displayed in the patients’ ward. Hanging on the wall is a modern replica of the Apocalypse tapestry of Angers, which Lurçat discovered in 1937.