Exploring the Angers Region in France

I had a wonderful opportunity to explore a region of France that I had never been to before with my friend Dominique, who grew up there, as my guide. Over the years Dominique had often said to me that I should come with her when she went home to visit her parents but for various reasons that never happened. Unfortunately her parents are no longer with us but, to celebrate a significant birthday this year, Dominique decided that she wanted to rent a house in her hometown (Angers) and invited me to come with her. Her partner Hamish will join us in a week’s time.

This is quite a different sort of trip for me: staying put in one area and exploring it in more depth – and I am really looking forward to it. Angers has a fascinating history based around rocks, royalty and religion. Dominique has pulled together lots of information for me in preparation for this trip and I will embed much of this into my posts – and expand on it as we explore the region.

Rocks (Geology)

Anjou’s human and natural landscapes have been shaped by the nature of its soils.

The region is at the confluence of 2 major geological structures: to the West are dark soils (Anjou Noir) and to the East are white soils (Anjou Blanc).

Anjou Noir is made of ancient metamorphic and magmatic rocks from volcanic and seismic origin. The soils are made up of black schists, slate stone, gneiss and granite. They are poor, acidic soils.

Anjou Blanc is made of sedimentary, calcareous soils from oceanic marine deposits. They are alkaline soils and consist of sand, limestone (called tuffeau) and seashell faluns (sandstone).

These different soil types meet like interlocking fingers through the middle of the region and there are areas where crops requiring totally different soils are grown side by side. The black (or blue-grey) and white colour combination is widely used, for example in houses where the use of local slate for roofs is required by building standards.

Over these geological structures, the numerous rivers flowing throughout Anjou have formed fertile alluvial valleys ideal for horticulture. A number of large wetlands and  flood areas are now protected.

Royalty

The Anjou region has been invaded by wave after wave of different peoples throughout its history, including Celts, Romans, Bretons, Saxons, Vikings, then becoming part of the Frankish Kingdom (France today). In the 9th century, the region grew in importance with its establishment as a fortified territory to protect the Kingdom against the Bretons and the Normans. The powerful role of Comte de Anjou was created to represent the king in matters financial, military, judiciary etc.

The Anjou dynasty died out around 1060, replaced by the Plantagenet dynasty. The Plantagenets were a very powerful family, whose marriages brought together a vast Angevine Kingdom (with Angers as its centre) including England, Wales, parts of Ireland and much of France. The prestige, wealth and influence of Henry II (especially after his marriage to Eleanor of Aquitaine) became a threat to the King of France, Philippe II Auguste (House of Capet) and the resulting conflict between the Capetiens and the Plantagenets gave rise to the Hundred Years War.

In 1214, Anjou was integrated into the French kingdom, ending the Plantagenets’ influence on French territory (end of Angevin Empire).

Religion

The Anjou region (and France) is predominantly Catholic with churches, monasteries, and cathedrals forming a big part of the culture and landscape. There was little tolerance for other religions and in the 16th & 17th centuries there were a series of nine civil wars (the French Wars of Religion (1562-1598)) between French Catholics and Protestants (Calvinists or Huguenots).

Tensions between the two religions had been building since the 1530s, exacerbating existing regional divisions. It is estimated that up to four million people died from as a result of the conflict, and it severely damaged the power of the French monarchy. The fighting ended with a compromise in 1598, when Henry of Navarre, who had converted to Catholicism in 1593, was proclaimed King Henry IV of France and issued the Edict of Nantes, which granted substantial rights and freedoms to the Huguenots. However, Catholics continued to disapprove of Protestants and of Henry, and his assassination in 1610 triggered a fresh round of Huguenot rebellions in the 1620s. Henry’s grandson Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes in 1685, making the practice of Protestantism illegal in France. While it did not prompt renewed religious warfare, many Protestants chose to leave France rather than convert to Catholicism.

Exploring the Angers Region in France

Day 1 & 2: Exploring Angers

Day 3: Chateau d’Angers and Historic Quarter

Day 4: Exploring the Loire Valley to Cunault Abbey

Day 5: Troglodyte Village & the Mysteries of Falun

Day 6: Fontevraud Royal Abbey & Chateau du Brézé

Days 7-9: Angers, Markets & Old Town

Day 10: Troglodyte Restaurant & Medicinal Plants

Day 11: Béhaurd Island Village in Loire River

Day 12: Michelin-star Restaurant Degustation Lunch, Angers

Day 13: Day 13: Puy du Fou Historical Theme Park

Day 14: Le Thoureil, Ackerman Winery & Dolmen de Bagneaux

Day 15: Visit to Slate Museum, Trélazé