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A little bit of history !!!
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In 1180 a fortified stone castle was built at Saint Jean d'Angle. Guillaume de Lusignan is believed to be its founder.
He belonged to one of the most powerful families of the Poitou region. They owed their reputation and wealth to a fairy protector: Mélusine.
From 1406 to the 17th century, the castle remained in the hands of the Saint-Gelais family, a younger branch of the de Lusignan family.
The residence adjoining the original rampart dates back to the Renaissance.
By 1994 the castle was in very bad repair. Almost on the point of collapsing, it was only kept upright by the vegetation that had covered it.
"Considering that the conservation of the Castle of Saint Jean d'Angle is of public interest given its historical and artistic qualities", the Minister of Culture listed the castle as a historic monument on 21 March 1994.
On the 30December 1994, Alain Rousselot, a businessman from La Rochelle bought the site with the intention of saving it.
From January 1995 onwards, extensive restoration work was undertaken in collaboration with Monuments de France. It lasted 6 years.
In 2003, two prestigious awards—the Grand Prix des Maisons Françaises and the Prix Europa Nostra—were received for the exceptional quality of the castle’s restoration.
Visit the castle brought alive by wax models from the Musée Grévin (waxworks museum) and discover what life was like in a fortified castle. |
A little bit of history !!!
|
|
|
In 1180 a fortified stone castle was built at Saint Jean d'Angle. Guillaume de Lusignan is believed to be its founder.
He belonged to one of the most powerful families of the Poitou region. They owed their reputation and wealth to a fairy protector: Mélusine.
From 1406 to the 17th century, the castle remained in the hands of the Saint-Gelais family, a younger branch of the de Lusignan family.
The residence adjoining the original rampart dates back to the Renaissance.
By 1994 the castle was in very bad repair. Almost on the point of collapsing, it was only kept upright by the vegetation that had covered it.
"Considering that the conservation of the Castle of Saint Jean d'Angle is of public interest given its historical and artistic qualities", the Minister of Culture listed the castle as a historic monument on 21 March 1994.
On the 30December 1994, Alain Rousselot, a businessman from La Rochelle bought the site with the intention of saving it.
From January 1995 onwards, extensive restoration work was undertaken in collaboration with Monuments de France. It lasted 6 years.
In 2003, two prestigious awards—the Grand Prix des Maisons Françaises and the Prix Europa Nostra—were received for the exceptional quality of the castle’s restoration.
Visit the castle brought alive by wax models from the Musée Grévin (waxworks museum) and discover what life was like in a fortified castle. |
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