It’s probably about time that I explain where I am. Angers, France, is a mid-sized college town (about 150,000 living within the city itself) in the northwest of France in a region historically known as Anjou. About an hour and a half by train from Paris, the city is also considered the gateway to the Loire valley, the famed region of France known for its châteaux and wineries.
Though shopping and nightlife hold prominent spots on tourist guides, the city is incredibly old and ultimately also rich in history – some of its locally found artifacts date back to the Romans. This history can be felt before stepping into any museums by the sheer number of ancient buildings and cobbled streets.
Château d’Angers, from its sheer size and position in the center of town overlooking the River Maine, is the most prominent and seems to be the poster child for the city.
Built in the 13th century, the huge stone castle is not actually a château at all, but rather a fortress designed to protect against invasion. The view from atop one of its seventeen battlements is perhaps the best in Angers as one can see out over all the cathedrals’ spires piercing the sky as well as the roofs of mashed-together 100-year old apartments.
If that experience in and of itself doesn’t inspire a Dorothy-esque “I’m not in Oregon anymore” moment, the more than 600-hundred year old tapestry housed inside the Château d’Angers will. The “Apocalypse Tapestry” tells in 90 different scenes and over a 100 meters the story of the apocalypse from the Book of Revelation by Saint John. Rich in color and fascinating in its many portrayals of fire, many-headed dragons, and war, the piece is absolutely terrifying. I can only imagine how illiterate peasants of the Middle Ages went about fathoming such a piece or taking it up as part of their faith. I also struggle to understand why someone would want to have one of these sinister scenes on a miniature rug in their home, but the gift shop offers just that.
Despite the chill it left me – both from standing in frigid temperatures and wind atop the castle and in beholding the apocalypse – I was glad to have come to Château d’Angers when I did, on my first full day here. Our tour guide was a delight and of those whose love and knowledge of her subject was wholly visible. Her eyes would light up as she revealed secret political messages against the British hidden in the tapestry and her disappointment was hardly conspicuous when our schedule cut our tour short.
I can only imagine what more she had to say and what more this city holds. It’s true that much of the old city has fallen away and given way to bank buildings and H&M, but one has only to wander a little before stumbling upon medieval gargoyles or ancient alleyways. It makes me think that no matter how many of its museums or tours I go on, Angers will forever hold secrets and a history I’ll never truly be able to grasp.
