We finally found a chateau that was open at Angers; others were closed either for holiday or for repairs. When we got into this chateau, we found out that the royal quarters had been destroyed by a fire in early 2009, but the place was still fascinating. Here you see us on top of the Mill Tower (yes, there was a windmill up there sometime in the past), with a 40-meter drop to the moat below! That's why Chris is standing in the MIDDLE of the top.
Some of the buildings were destroyed by an explosion in a Nazi munitions dump, and they were replaced by a modern building housing the most amazing weaving we've ever seen. It is the Apocalypse Tapestry, woven in the 1370's, showing scenes from St. John. It was originally 140 meters long and 12 meters tall (!), with intricate detail on each and every panel. The displayed pieces survived for over 600 years, even though there was never a good place to show them in the past. They were hung in the local cathedral at times, outdoors sometimes, and used at a royal wedding. At some point, they went out of favor so they were not cared for. Parts were cut off and used as door matts and rags! Still, 104 meters have been found and are now on display under controlled conditions. It was simply breathtaking to walk into this long room and see it for the first time.
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