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            The Château de Langeais in the little town of Langeais, seen from top of the ruins of the 10th century keep, Loire Valley, France

Some background information:

The Château de Langeais is a 15th century Flamboyant Gothic castle in the little town of Langeais in French department of Indre-et-Loire. It was built on a promontory created by the small valley of the Roumer River at the opening to the Loire Valley.

The 10th century saw the emergence of the castle, which is generally thought to be the second-earliest known, the earliest being Château de Doué-la-Fontaine built by the Count of Blois around 900. The counts of Anjou and Blois had bordering territories and those powerful lords were rivals. As a result the border area is home to some of the earliest-known castles.

When it was founded in 992 by Fulk Nerra, Count of Anjou, Château de Langeais was made from wood and took the form of a motte-and-bailey. While the land belonged to Fulk, the area was under the control of Odo I, Count of Blois. When news of the fortification reached Odo, he despatched a force to destroy it. The attack was unsuccessful and Fulk reinforced the site, building the stone keep that stands in ruins today.

Hostilities between the counts of Anjou and Blois continued until the middle of the 11th century. In the 12th century, under the kings of the House of Plantagenet, the château was fortified and expanded by Richard I of England (better known as Richard the Lionheart). However King Philippe II of France recaptured the château in 1206. Eventually though, during the Hundred Years' War, the English troops destroyed it completely.

Around 1465, Château de Langeais was rebuilt right below the ruined stronghold to protect the royal domain. Its erector was Jean Bourré, privy councillor of the French King Louis XI, on behalf of the King. For some time the estate was in possession of the French Crown and in 1491, even the glamorous wedding of King Charles VIII and Anne of Brittany was celebrated in the castle. It was a significant event, not only for France but also for the rest of Europe, because by this marriage Brittany passed to France permanently and not to the House of Habsburg.

In 1886, Jacques Siegfried bought the Château de Langeais and began a restoration programme. He installed an outstanding collection of tapestries and furnishings and bequeathed the castle to the Institut de France, which still owns it today. It is listed as a "monument historique" by the French Ministry of Culture, open to the public and admired as one of the best known examples of late medieval architecture.. Since 2000, the Château de Langeais also belongs to the UNESCO Word Heritage Site "The Loire Valley between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes" with its many breathtaking châteaux. Altogether there are more than 400 of them in the Loire region.

With its more than 4,500 residents, the town of Langeais is located in the Centre-Val de Loire region.  It is situated on the right bank of the Loire River, just about 20 km (12.5 miles) west of the city of Tours. The settlement already emerged in the 5th century under the name of Alangavia, but mainly developed around its important castle as of the 11th century. Its Romanesque churches Saint-Laurent and Saint-Jean-Baptiste were built in the 11th and 12th centuries. In the Middle Ages, its inhabitants were mainly self-sustaining farmers who had an additional income by cultivating vines. However, nowadays Langeais is a vibrant community, which benefits from all the tourists visiting the Château de Langeais.

Taken in: France / Centre / Arrondissement de Chinon / Langeais (show map)

Taken on: September 8, 2021

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Sets appears in: • France: Brittany, Val de Loire and Troyes 2021 • Castles, Palaces and Mansions more » • Buildings - France • Summer « less

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Camera: Canon EOS 77D, f/9.0, 1/250 sec, 18mm, ISO 400 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon EOS 77D
Lens:	TAMRON 18-400mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD B028
Aperture:	f/9.0
Exposure Time:	0.004 sec (1/250)
Focal Length:	18mm
ISO:	400
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop CS6 (Windows)
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