Located in the French town of Saumur, in the Maine-et-Loire d partement, the Ch teau de Saumur was originally constructed as a fortified stronghold. After its destruction in 1067, the ch teau was rebuilt by a member of the powerful Plantagenet family.
The castle of Saumur, set above the town of Saumur
In the early part of the 1200s, King Philippe II made Saumur part of his royal domain but his son, King Louis IX (Saint Louis) was responsible for the castle's rebirth. It changed hands several times until 1589 when the Protestant King Henri IV (of France and Navarre) gifted the castle to Duplessis-Mornay.
In 1621 the castle was converted into an army barracks then into a state prison under Napoleon Bonaparte. The castle has a dungeon and watchtower, and houses the Mus e de la Figurine-Jouet, a collection of very old toys and figurines of soldiers, kings of France, and clowns.
In the first part of the 20th century, the city of Saumur acquired the castle and began a restoration program to house the museum of the decorative arts. In line with the Saumur area's equestrian tradition and its famous "Cadre Noir", the castle also serves as a Museum of the Horse.
Saumur is a town and commune in the Maine-et-Loire département of France on the Loire River at 47.269° N 0.068° W, with an approximate population of 30,000 as of 2001.
Saumur is home to the Cadre Noir, the École Nationale d'Equitation (National School of Horsemanship), known for its annual horse shows, as well as the officer school for armored forces (tanks).
The School of Saumur is the name used to denote a distinctive form of Reformed theology taught by Moses Amyraut at the University of Saumur in the 17th century.
Located in the French town of Saumur, in the Maine-et-Loire département, the Château de Saumur was originally constructed as a fortified stronghold.
In the early part of the 1200s, King Philippe II made Saumur part of his royal domain but his son, King Louis IX (Saint Louis) was responsible for the castle's rebirth.
In line with the Saumur area's equestrian tradition and its famous "Cadre Noir", the castle also serves as a Museum of the Horse.