HISTORY

It was owned by the counts of Anjou then the House of Plantagenet before being turned into a royal fortress in the early 13th century during the reign of King Louis IX. Duke Louis I of Anjou (King Charles V's brother) turned it into an opulent palace during the second half of the 14th century. The miniature of it in the famous Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry gives us a very clear image.

King René, the last Duke of Anjou, lived here on and off. The château returned to the royal estate upon his death in 1480.

The building was used as a residence for the town's governors until the end of the Ancien Régime. The most famous of them, Philippe Duplessis-Mornay, was made governor in 1589. The town of Saumur had just been assigned to the protestant party as a safe haven. The new governor had the château fortified with the outer wall you can still see today. It was a pioneering structure at the time with the section facing the town built almost a hundred years before Vauban's masterpieces!

Château de Saumur was used as a prison between the 17th and 18th century: objectors to the regime who were imprisoned without trial then war prisoners from the 1780s onwards (mainly British sailors).

The building was spared by the French Revolution. It was in such a poor state that it was due to be demolished but Napoleon I saved it to turn it into a state prison.

Extensive work was conducted to adapt it to its future function. But the political change brought about by the restoration of the monarchy changed its fate again. It was assigned to the War Ministry in 1814 and used to store weapons and munitions.

Extensive work was conducted to adapt it to its future function. But the political change brought about by the restoration of the monarchy changed its fate again. It was assigned to the War Ministry in 1814 and used to store weapons and munitions.
The soldiers left in 1889. The Council began discussions with the government to buy the château to turn it into a museum. The purchase went through in 1906. The landmark's restoration began right away.
The partly restored landmark was opened to the general public in 1912. The council museum was set up on the first floor in the north wing with the horse museum (association museum) on the second floor.