Château de Montreuil-Bellay
Encyclopedia
The Château
de Montreuil-Bellay is a historical building in the town of Montreuil-Bellay
, département of Maine-et-Loire
, France
, first built on the site of a Gallo-Roman village high on a hill on the banks of the Thouet River
. It is listed as a monument historique
by the French Ministry of Culture.
During the medieval the property, consisting of more than 1000 acres (4 km²), was part of a group of 32 villages near-by that created the then known as "L'Anjou". The Mountreil-Bellay fief, first belonged to Gelduin le Danois afterward by regal hereditry passed to Berlay le Vieux whom became the first Sir of Bellay, in 1025 the chateau was seized by Foulque Nerra a Plantagenet making Giraud Berlay his vassal during the second half of the 12th century. After the defeat of the English by Philip II
, the fief returned to a descendant of the Berlay le Vieux family Sir of Bellay, Guillaume de Melun, during this period the fief went under a big renovation by the creation of high massive walls construction including 13 interlocking towers, with entry only via a fortified gateway and the name was anglicize from Barley to Balley.
During the French Wars of Religion
(1562‑1598) the town of Montreuil-Bellay was ransacked and burned but the sturdy fortress suffered little damage. Ownership of the castle changed several times including, through marriage, to the Cossé-Brissac
family. During the French Revolution
the castle was seized by the revolutionary government and used as a prison for women suspected of being royalists.
In 1822 the property was acquired by Saumur
businessman Adrien Niveleau, who divided the huge property into rental units. In 1860 Niveleau's daughter undertook occupancy and a major restoration campaign, redoing some of the rooms in the Troubadour
style. Descendants of her husband’s nephew are the current owners of the property.
Nowadays, Château de Montreuil-Bellay is also the name of a premium wine made on the property.
Château
A château is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor or a country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally—and still most frequently—in French-speaking regions...
de Montreuil-Bellay is a historical building in the town of Montreuil-Bellay
Montreuil-Bellay
Montreuil-Bellay is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France.It is located c. 15 km to the south of Saumur, and is famous for the Château de Montreuil-Bellay, which is situated in the town....
, département of Maine-et-Loire
Maine-et-Loire
Maine-et-Loire is a department in west-central France, in the Pays de la Loire region.- History :Maine-et-Loire is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. Originally it was called Mayenne-et-Loire, but its name was changed to Maine-et-Loire in 1791....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, first built on the site of a Gallo-Roman village high on a hill on the banks of the Thouet River
Thouet
The Thouet is a tributary river of the Loire in the Poitou-Charentes and Pays de la Loire régions of France. The Thouet rises at Secondigny, close to the source of the Sèvre Nantaise, and joins the Loire just to the west of Saumur...
. It is listed as a monument historique
Monument historique
A monument historique is a National Heritage Site of France. It also refers to a state procedure in France by which national heritage protection is extended to a building or a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings, or gardens, bridges, and other structures, because of their...
by the French Ministry of Culture.
During the medieval the property, consisting of more than 1000 acres (4 km²), was part of a group of 32 villages near-by that created the then known as "L'Anjou". The Mountreil-Bellay fief, first belonged to Gelduin le Danois afterward by regal hereditry passed to Berlay le Vieux whom became the first Sir of Bellay, in 1025 the chateau was seized by Foulque Nerra a Plantagenet making Giraud Berlay his vassal during the second half of the 12th century. After the defeat of the English by Philip II
Philip II of France
Philip II Augustus was the King of France from 1180 until his death. A member of the House of Capet, Philip Augustus was born at Gonesse in the Val-d'Oise, the son of Louis VII and his third wife, Adela of Champagne...
, the fief returned to a descendant of the Berlay le Vieux family Sir of Bellay, Guillaume de Melun, during this period the fief went under a big renovation by the creation of high massive walls construction including 13 interlocking towers, with entry only via a fortified gateway and the name was anglicize from Barley to Balley.
During the French Wars of Religion
French Wars of Religion
The French Wars of Religion is the name given to a period of civil infighting and military operations, primarily fought between French Catholics and Protestants . The conflict involved the factional disputes between the aristocratic houses of France, such as the House of Bourbon and House of Guise...
(1562‑1598) the town of Montreuil-Bellay was ransacked and burned but the sturdy fortress suffered little damage. Ownership of the castle changed several times including, through marriage, to the Cossé-Brissac
Château de Brissac
The Château de Brissac is a noble mansion in the commune of Brissac-Quincé, in the département of Maine-et-Loire, France. It was originally built as a fortified castle by the Counts of Anjou in the 11th century. After the victory over the English by Philip II of France, he gave the property to...
family. During the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
the castle was seized by the revolutionary government and used as a prison for women suspected of being royalists.
In 1822 the property was acquired by Saumur
Saumur
Saumur is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France.The historic town is located between the Loire and Thouet rivers, and is surrounded by the vineyards of Saumur itself, Chinon, Bourgueil, Coteaux du Layon, etc...
businessman Adrien Niveleau, who divided the huge property into rental units. In 1860 Niveleau's daughter undertook occupancy and a major restoration campaign, redoing some of the rooms in the Troubadour
Troubadour
A troubadour was a composer and performer of Old Occitan lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages . Since the word "troubadour" is etymologically masculine, a female troubadour is usually called a trobairitz....
style. Descendants of her husband’s nephew are the current owners of the property.
Nowadays, Château de Montreuil-Bellay is also the name of a premium wine made on the property.
External links
- Official site.
- Ministry of Culture database entry for Château de Montreuil-Bellay
- Ministry of Culture photos
- Photos of Château de Montreuil-Bellay and other Loire castles
- History of Montreuil-Balley http://sigot.montreuil.free.fr/historique/historique.htm
- Chateau de Montreuil-Balley (Chateau history text in French) http://www.chateau-de-montreuil-bellay.fr/visite-histoire.php
- Site non officiel Montreuil Bellay http://montreuil-bellay-passionnement.fr