Description of the attraction
Château du Plessis-Bourret is recognized as one of the most beautiful castles of the Loire Valley and is on a par with the castles of Angers, Chaumont, Chenonceau and Saumur. Despite several "dark spots" in its history (periods about which there is no reliable data), the castle is perfectly preserved and looks almost the same as when it was opened in the second half of the 15th century. The castle is privately owned, but the owners open the gates of the chateau to tourists.
Pless-Bourret Castle is located in the Maine-et-Loire department, a few kilometers from Angers.
In 1462, the lands of Pless-les-Vens acquired a new owner, who became Jean Bourret, treasurer of Louis XI. Six years later, the new owner begins to rebuild the estate that was there, and already in 1473 a castle rises above the area - fortified from the outside, like a fortress, but inside it is luxurious, like a palace. This task - to combine two different functions in one building - was set by Jean Bourret to his architects. A wide moat filled with water made the castle impregnable. The castle could be reached via a stone bridge almost 45 meters long. Balls and lavish receptions were held here. The interiors and halls of the castle were decorated with picturesque canvases, tapestries, and exquisite furniture.
Almost nothing is known about the further fate of the castle until the middle of the 18th century, and even then little is known either. In 1751, the castle was bought by the Rouillet family, whose head was arrested during the Great French Revolution. In the middle of the next century, the castle was put up for sale, but no one was willing to buy it. Perhaps it would have been destroyed, but a notary from Angers still bought this estate.
Later, the owners of the castle changed frequently, until in 1911 Mr. Vaissé acquired it. His descendants, the Reye-Su family, currently manage and live in the castle. During the World Wars, the castle became a hospital (World War I) and the seat of the US Embassy. In 1939, the castle received the status of a monument to the history of France.
Château du Plessis-Bourret became the location for filming several films - for example, in the 70s of the last century, Donkey Skin was filmed here with Catherine Deneuve and Jean Marais, and at the beginning of this year - Fanfan Tulip with Penelope Cruz.
