Château du Plessis-Bourré

En un regard

Le château en bref

About fifteen kilometres north of Angers, between the valleys of the Mayenne and the Sarthe, the Château du Plessis-Bourré is mirrored in very broad moats. It was the work of Jean Bourré, treasurer and trusted adviser to Louis XI, who had it built in a single campaign between 1468 and 1473; his wife, Marguerite de Feschal, closely followed the works. Louis XI stayed there in 1471, and Charles VIII in 1476. The building perfectly illustrates the transition between the medieval fortress and the pleasure residence. On the defensive side, there are four massive towers, a drawbridge, an artillery terrace running along the foot of the walls and a 44-metre bridge spanning the moats; on the comfort side, tall mullioned windows and spacious state rooms that herald the Renaissance. Rarely, the exterior of the château has changed very little in more than five centuries. This authenticity has made it a much-sought-after film set: Peau d'Âne, Le Bossu and Fanfan la Tulipe were among the films shot there. It has been run since 1985 by a family civil company and is open to visitors.