Château de Brézé is a small, dry-moated castle located in

Brézé Brézé () is a former commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the new commune Bellevigne-les-Châteaux.Saumur Saumur () is a Communes of France, commune in the Maine-et-Loire Departments of France, department in western France. The town is located between the Loire and Thouet rivers, and is surrounded by the vineyards of Saumur itself, Chinon, Bourgu ...

in the

Loire Valley The Loire Valley (, ), spanning , is a valley located in the middle stretch of the Loire river in central France, in both the administrative regions Pays de la Loire and Centre-Val de Loire. The area of the Loire Valley comprises about . It is r ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. The château was transformed during the 16th and the 19th centuries. The current structure is

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

in style, yet retains medieval elements including a

drawbridge A drawbridge or draw-bridge is a type of moveable bridge typically at the entrance to a castle or tower surrounded by a moat. In some forms of English, including American English, the word ''drawbridge'' commonly refers to all types of moveable b ...

and a 12th-century troglodytic basement. Probably constructed as a refuge and shelter from

Viking Vikings were 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 settled throughout parts of Europe.Roesdahl, pp. 9� ...

raids, the castle's cellars contain of galleries ( of which is currently accessible) that include living spaces, a bakery, storage areas and livestock areas.BBC:The medieval 'doomsday bunker' hidden beneath a castle
/ref> 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

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

See also

References

External links