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Origin and history

Langeais Castle, located in the department of Indre-et-Loire in the Centre-Val de Loire region, is a Renaissance residence built in 1465 under the order of Louis XI. It replaces an old castle erected at the end of the 10th century by Foulques Nerra, Count of Anjou, on a rocky spur overlooking the Loire. This strategic site, on the border of the counties of Anjou and Blois, already housed a castrum with stone dungeon, one of the oldest in France, and a chapel Saint-Sauveur.

Foulques Nerra was taken from Langeais in 994 and built a two-storey square fortress surrounded by dry ditches. The castle changed hands several times: taken over by Foulques Nerra in 1017, enlarged by Richard Lion's Heart in the 12th century, then destroyed during the Hundred Years War. In 1465 Louis XI ordered his reconstruction below the medieval ruins, under the direction of Jean Bourré and Jean Briçonnet. The work was completed in 1469, marking the transition between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

The most significant event in its history is the royal marriage of Charles VIII and Anne of Brittany, celebrated on December 6, 1491. This marriage seals the end of Breton independence. The castle remains owned by the crown until Louis XIII, then passes into the hands of private families. Piled during the Revolution, it was restored from 1833 by Christophe Baron, then by Jacques Siegfried at the end of the 19th century, who left it at the Institut de France in 1904.

The present castle combines medieval defensive elements (bridge-levis, mâchicoulis, round road) and Renaissance decorations, especially on its western facade. It houses an exceptional collection of tapestries from the 15th and 16th centuries, including seven pieces from the curtain of the Nine Preux, acquired in 1892. The cellars, dug in limestone, and the remains of the dungeon of Foulques Nerra bear witness to its medieval past. Ranked a Historic Monument in 1922, it is now open to the public.

During World War II, the castle served as a refuge for the French Diplomatic Archives, evacuated from Paris in 1939. Its park, built around the ruins of the dungeon, was classified in 1942. The medieval structure of the attic, perfectly preserved, and the carved chimneys, unique in France with those of the Château de Bourges, make it an architectural gem.

Today, Langeais Castle offers a dive into the seigneurial life of the late Middle Ages, with its furnished rooms, its gazebo on the Loire and its centenary Lebanon cedar. Its fire protection remains a challenge due to its closed drawbridge and complex key system.

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