Montreuil-Bellay

The town of Montreuil-Bellay is the last walled town left in Anjou. Not only has it preserved most of its old walls and gates, but it has a castle built around 1212. We got plenty of pictures of the castle, the church and the town, but they didn't allow photography inside the castle. We have a vague memory of a nice kitchen and comfortable furnishings, but without pictures to jog our memories, all we can say is check the restrictions before you pay for the ticket. The cellar of the castle is where France's oldest oenophile brotherhood, the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Sacavin, meets.

		A separate bridge leads to the church. It used to be within the castle walls but now has its own entrance. The outer defenses start with a moat and a barbican then a gate tower which used to have a drawbridge.

		The large collegial church was tended to by a group of canon priests who lived in the castle. There is a private room with a window into the church so that the lord could attend mass and preserve his privacy. Aside from a small hinged panel on the opposite side, there is no way into the pulpit!?!


		One end of the courtyard has a large rose garden. Below the terrace is a formal garden along the river.

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