Contractor’s error beneficial to local peasants

This would make a nice headline in a local newspaper, wouldn’t it? But it isn’t. It refers to my previous post about the Château de Brézé near Saumur.

In the old days there was a lot of rivalry amongst noble families. Their main objective was to acquire more land and gain importance. The most gallant way to do this was to marry your son to your neighbour’s daughter. When there were no eligible daughters around, another option was to try and sign a pack with your neighbour stipulating that you would inherit his property if he were to die without offspring.

If none of these solutions were available, you simply went to war and raided the castle you were after. Before attacking the fortress or castle, you ravaged the surrounding villages and farms for food and young maidens; simply to keep your troops fed and entertained.

The lord of the castle had the duty to protect the villagers against these attackers. If they had the chance to flee their homes before the enemy arrived, they would find sanctuary within the castle’s ramparts.

And this is probably what happened at Brézé castle as well. The interior courtyard made a safe haven for the frightened peasants, who moved in stock, lock and barrel. Sometimes the siege would last weeks and even months. And I can very well image the countess one morning complaining to her husband:

“Cher Ami, these peasants and their cattle and poultry are so smelly and noisy. How much longer do we have to put up with them?”

The count was puzzled. On the one hand, it was his duty to protect these people. But on the other hand, he wanted to keep the countess happy as well. And then he looked at this empty moat. He decided to move the people to the subterranean part of the castle, which gave access to moat. And so the countess was happy, with the villagers well out of sight and yet protected against the invaders.

Back to the present! When you visit the Château de Brézé you certainly get your money’s worth: a sumptuous 16th century, beautifully furnished castle and impressive 11th century subterranean halls, animated by a subtle light display. The best part, however, is the moat. It runs all the way around the castle and troglodyte dwellings have been carved out in its outer walls. There are storage rooms, a bakery with a gigantic oven, stables … a complete village hidden from the outside world.



When we visited Brézé the weather was sunny and pleasantly warm, but with a chilly breeze. Yet, down in the moat, protected form this breeze, it was extremely hot. There is a lot of stair climbing to do, and the glass of wine that you’ll get offered at the end of the visit is very welcome indeed. Believe me, the Château the Brézé is a real MUST when you’re visiting the Loire Valley.