Inside the formidable Anjou Castle in Angers, you will discover the most powerful tapestry you have ever seen. It competes with the Bayeux Tapestry for its impact, but the story is very different.
The wallpaper
The 100-meter (328-foot) long tapestry sits in the castle in a dimly lit gallery that takes your eyes a few minutes to get used to. The low lighting protects the vegetable dyes of the red, blue and gold wool threads, and they are incredibly vivid. It also sets the atmosphere for what will be a visit that will be remembered by the glorious wealth and the terrifying and grotesque scenes of the Apocalypse.
The story is divided into six ‘chapters’, following the last chapter of St. John’s New Testament on the Apocalypse. In a series of prophetic visions, he narrates the return of Christ, his victory over evil and the end of the world with its various signs in heaven, horrors and persecutions. Each of the six chapters has a figure sitting on a dais reading the ‘Revelations’ that are depicted in the scenes that follow.
It is an extraordinary work of art, quite chilling in some scenes, such as those depicting the monster with seven heads. But while it was meant to convey the power of God, it was also a political statement. The tapestry was designed and woven during the Hundred Years War between the English and the French, which took place intermittently between 1337 and 1453.
So all through it there are hints of that long series of wars. For the citizens of the time, the allusions were obvious. For example, in the chapter where the dragon acknowledges the monster’s supremacy, he delivers a French fleur-de-lis , the symbol of France, to the old and feared enemy. It comes from Revelation 12: 1-2:
And I saw a beast emerging from the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and a blasphemous name on its heads. And the beast that I saw was like a leopard, its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. And to that, the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. ” It is worth reading because this is something exciting.
Tip: If you can, read Revelations before you go to familiarize yourself with the story, or find a shortened version and take it with you. It gives you a much greater understanding of the bloody war that you see in this extraordinary work.
A little history
The tapestry was woven in Paris between 1373 and 1382 for Louis I of Anjou. Originally 133 meters (436 feet) long and 6 meters (20 feet) high, it was designed by Hennequin de Bruges, the most important painter of the School of Bruges who lived in France from 1368 as an employee of the French King Charles V (1364 – 1380). As inspiration for the images, he took one of the King’s illuminated manuscripts. Those designs were woven into 100 separate tapestries by Nicolas Bataille and Robert Poincon over 7 years.
At first, it was hung in the Angers Cathedral on major holidays. But during the French Revolution, the tapestry was cut into pieces for protection and given to different people. After the Revolution, a canon of the cathedral collected the pieces (all except 16 which were never recovered and were probably destroyed), and the tapestry was restored between 1843 and 1870.
Practical information
Angers Castle
2 Bout-du-Monde promenade
Angers, Maine y Loira
Phone: 00 33 (0) 2 41 86 48 77
Angers Castle Sitio web
Open: May 2 to September 4: 9:30 am to 6:30 pm
September 5 to April 30: from 10 am to 5.30 pm
Last entry 45 minutes before closing
Closed
January 1, May 1, November 1, November 11 and December 25
Prices
Adult 8.50 euros; 18-25 years free for citizens of an EU country; under 18 years free
Where to stay in Angers
Read guest reviews, compare prices and book a hotel in Angers with TripAdvisor.
Close to Terra Botánica, one of the best theme parks in France.
