Top Attractions in Angers
The castle of Angers and the tapestry of the Apocalypse
You cannot miss the formidable castle that dominates this lively city. Built from 1231 onwards by Blanche de Castilla, the medieval riverside fortification dominates its now peaceful surroundings. Its enormous one kilometer long curtain wall has 17 round towers, which struck terror in the hearts of the many enemies of the powerful Counts of Anjou.
Angers and Anjou have important historical ties to England through dynastic marriages, wars, and conquests. The Counts of Anjou, based here in Angers, reigned over the surrounding countryside from the late 9th to the mid-12th century.
At its peak, the Angevin Empire stretched from the Pyrenees to Ireland to the Scottish borders. From 1154 to 1485, fifteen Plantagenet monarchs ruled England. The politics between England and France is complicated (to say the least), the two fortunes of the two nations intertwined as they fought endless battles. More happily, they influenced each other’s culture.
Little remains inside the castle of its long and sometimes bloody history. But it contains a mighty treasure, the Apocalypse Tapestry, and Angers alone is worth visiting. Surprisingly, the tapestry remains relatively unknown. It was woven during the Hundred Years War between the English and the French between 1372 and 1382.
More about the Apocalypse tapestry
Practical information
2 Bout-du-Monde promenade
Phone: 00 33 (0) 2 41 86 48 77
Angers tourist office
Musée Jean-Lurcat and The Tapestry of the World’s Song
This impressive contemporary tapestry is housed in the former St-Jean Hospital, founded in 1174 by the butler of King Henry II of England. On the opposite side of the river from the castle, it has a large nave with columns that support the high ceiling. As you enter, you pass the dispensary displaying porcelain and porcelain jugs, pots and containers for 17th to 18th century remedies. The hospital cared for the sick and poor for more than 800 years, only ceasing in 1865. The hospital became the city’s Museum of Antiquities until 1967, when it became the home of the tapestries.
At 80 meters long, Jean Lurçat’s ten tapestry series, The Song of the World , was designed and woven between 1957 and 1966. It is a modern view of the world, seen through the eyes of an artist whose perspective was influenced by butchery. of two world wars. It was designed during the Cold War with its threat of the atomic bomb destroying the world, a threat that also plays a role in the images. Essentially, this is a vision of the place of Man in the Universe of the 20th century.
Jean Lurçat was known as a painter and particularly colorful before turning his attention to tapestry work in the late 1930s. In 1937 he saw the Apocalypse Tapestry here in Angers. It was a time when tapestry design was not considered one of the great arts, but it did envision a return to medieval methods as the way to revitalize art. In 1939, Lurçat was commissioned to work on the world-famous works at Aubusson and began making technical improvements that sped up the creation of tapestries, making them less expensive to produce.
The tapestry takes threat (particularly the nuclear threat), destruction, and chaos as the first four themes, then renewal, hope, and joy in the next six tapestries. It’s a very evocative work, which despite its happier ending scenes, is awkward in its power and message.
Practical information
4 boulevard Arago
Tel.: 00 33 (0) 2 41 24 18 45
Website
Open
June to September every day 10 am-6.30pm
October to May, Tuesday to Sunday 10 am-noon, 2-6 pm
Closed on January 1, May 1, November 11, December 25
Admission
Adult 4 euros, free for under 18s.
Angers tourist office
St mauritius cathedral
Dating from the 12th and 13th centuries, the Cathedral of Saint Maurice is the first example in France of the Plantagenet style. Try to get closer from the pier and the long series of steps that lead you to the mid-12th century front door. Inside is an elegant vaulted building with notable stained glass windows – look for the one of Saint Christopher with the head of a dog.
Practical information
Place Freppel
Tel.: 00 33 (0) 2 41 87 58 45
Open every day from 9 am to 7 pm
Free entrance
Angers tourist office
Museum of Fine Arts
The Museum of Fine Arts (Museo de Bellas Artes) is housed in a 15th-century house. Now renovated, it is divided into two sections covering the history of Angers and the fine arts. Here are some treasures to discover: French and Italian Renaissance paintings, as well as works by Fragonard and Watteau. The 20th and 21st centuries are well covered and there is a section dedicated to the academic style taught here in the 19th century.
Practical information
14 rue du Musee
Tel.: 00 33 (0) 2 41 05 38 00
Website
To open
Beginning of October to end of May every day except Monday 10 am-noon, 2-6 pm
early June to late September daily 10 am-6pm
closed Jan 1, May 1, November 1, December 11, 25
Admission 4 euros
Angers tourist office
David d’Angers Sculpture Gallery
If monumental sculptures from the 19th century in a restored old abbey are your thing, then you must visit this extraordinary tribute to art. You can see drawings, models and plasterwork from the workshop to the finished works in marble and bronze. Everything is quite impressive and also a lot of fun trying to identify the distinguished busts that fill the building. Voltaire, Rousseau, Paganini, Goethe, Victor Hugo and Balzac and many more are there in all their glory.
Practical information
33 rue Toussains
Phone: 00 33 (0) 2 41 05 38 90
Web sitio (in inglés)
Open to
early June to early October: daily from 10 am to 7 pm
Beginning of October to beginning of June: every day (except Monday) from 10 am to 2 pm (1st Friday of the month until 8 pm)
Closed January 1, May 1, July 14, November 11, December 25
Admission 4 euros
Angers tourist office
Visita el Carré Cointreau
Cointreau liqueur has been distilled in Angers since brothers Adolphe and Edouard-Jean Cointreau established their famous artisan distillery in 1849. Now owned by Remy-Cointreau, the distillery and modern visitor center are located on the outskirts of the city.
Here you can learn about history and distillation, and of course, taste amber nectar (and buy a bottle or two). You can take a guided tour and / or go to a tasting session (10 euros). Call first or check with the tourist office for hours.
Practical information
Industrial Zone
Carre Cointreau
Saint-Barthelemy d’Anjou
Phone: 00 33 (0) 2 41 31 50 50
Website
Angers tourist office
