Château de Brézé is a small, dry-moated castle located in
Brézé, near
Saumur
Saumur () is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France.
The town is located between the Loire and Thouet rivers, and is surrounded by the vineyards of Saumur itself, Chinon, Bourgueil, Coteaux du Layon, etc.. Saumur statio ...
in the
Loire Valley,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
.
The château was transformed during the 16th and the 19th centuries. The current structure is
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...
in style yet retains medieval elements including a drawbridge and a 12th-century troglodytic basement.
Probably constructed as a refuge and shelter from
Viking
Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden),
who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...
raids, the castle's cellars contain of galleries ( of which is currently accessible) that include living spaces, storage areas and livestock areas.
[BBC:The medieval 'doomsday bunker' hidden beneath a castle]
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The château is a listed ancient monument originally dating from 1060. Today, it is the residence of descendants of the ancient lords.
A range of wines are produced at the château which has of vineyards.Official site of Château de Brézé
See also
*
Brézé
*
Château
A château (; plural: châteaux) is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor, or a fine country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally, and still most frequently, in French-speaking regions.
Nowaday ...
*
Saumur
Saumur () is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France.
The town is located between the Loire and Thouet rivers, and is surrounded by the vineyards of Saumur itself, Chinon, Bourgueil, Coteaux du Layon, etc.. Saumur statio ...
*
Anjou Anjou may refer to:
Geography and titles France
*County of Anjou, a historical county in France and predecessor of the Duchy of Anjou
**Count of Anjou, title of nobility
*Duchy of Anjou, a historical duchy and later a province of France
**Duke ...
*
Loire Valley
*
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
References
External links
Château de Brézé official websitePhotos of Château de Brézé and other Loire castles
{{DEFAULTSORT:Breze, Chateau de
Châteaux of the Loire Valley
Monuments historiques of Indre-et-Loire
Châteaux in Maine-et-Loire