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47-482: He was born at Angers , the son of Guillaume Ménage, king's advocate at Angers. A good memory and enthusiasm for learning carried him quickly through his literary and professional studies, and he practised at the bar at Angers before he was twenty. In 1632, he pleaded several causes before the parlement of Paris . Illness caused him to abandon the legal profession for the church. He became prior of Montdidier without taking holy orders , and lived for some years in

94-517: A century later. In 2008, ten Frankish sarcophagi from that period were discovered where Saint-Morille church once stood during the tramway construction. From the 850s, Angers suffered from its situation on the border with Brittany and Normandy . In September 851, Charles the Bald and Erispoe , a Breton chief, met in the town to sign the Treaty of Angers , which secured Breton independence and fixed

141-632: A high natural potential, notably highlighted by the Saint-Aubin island, situated north of the center and covering a tenth of the city total surface. Protected, the island is formed of swamps and natural meadows. The oldest green areas date back from the Renaissance , when the moats of the castle were transformed into pleasure and kitchen gardens. Similar gardens were built by the aristocracy around their hôtels particuliers and physic garden were planted in hospices cloisters. The Jardin des plantes,

188-513: A marina. In 2010, a large amusement park, Terra Botanica , was inaugurated close to Saint-Aubin island. The first sign of human presence in Angers dates back to around 400,000 BC. Vestiges from the Neolithic are more abundant and include numerous polished stone axes. Burials from 4500  x  3500 BC were also discovered on the castle grounds. During the 5th century BC,

235-513: A population of 154,508 inhabitants, while around 432,900 live in its metropolitan area ( aire d'attraction ). The Angers Loire Métropole is made up of 29 communes covering 667 square kilometers (258 square miles) with 299,500 inhabitants (2018). Not including the broader metropolitan area, Angers is the third most populous commune in northwestern France after Nantes and Rennes and the 18th most populous commune in France. For centuries, Angers

282-719: A rich cultural life, made possible by its universities and museums. The old medieval center is still dominated by the massive château of the Plantagenêts , home of the Apocalypse Tapestry , the biggest medieval tapestry ensemble in the world. Angers is also both at the edge of the Val de Loire , a World Heritage Site , and the Loire-Anjou-Touraine regional natural park . The city is first mentioned by Ptolemy around AD 150 in his Geography . It

329-589: A short but wide river that flows into the Loire several kilometres south. Today, Angers stands out for its specialization in the plant sector: Végépolys is Europe's leading horticultural competitiveness cluster, and the city is also home to the headquarters of the Community Plant Variety Office. In addition, the Angers metropolitan area is a major economic centre in western France, particularly active in industry and tourism. Angers enjoys

376-531: Is a city in western France , about 300 km (190 mi) southwest of Paris . It is the prefecture of the Maine-et-Loire department and was the capital of the province of Anjou until the French Revolution . The inhabitants of both the city and the province are called Angevins or, more rarely, Angeriens . Angers proper covers 42.70 square kilometers (16.5 sq mi) and has

423-473: Is also 118 km (73 mi) far from Pornic , the closest sea resort, situated on the Atlantic Ocean . Elevation varies 12 to 64 meters (39 to 210 ft) above sea level . Angers is a hilly town, particularly marked by a rocky promontory dominating the lower valley of Anjou . This was the site of the ancient city and still houses the town's castle , cathedral , and medieval quarters. At

470-495: The 1939–1945 War Cross and since then, the decoration is sometimes placed between the two fleurs de lys. Angers also had several mottos through its history: Angers is located at the geographical center of the Maine-et-Loire department, on the road ( A11 autoroute , L'Océane ) which connects Paris to the Atlantic Ocean . The city is situated just south of the confluence of the Loir , Mayenne and Sarthe , which form together

517-657: The Andecavi , a Celtic people, settled north of the Loire . By the end of the Iron Age , Angers was a relatively densely populated hillfort . While the settlement's Roman name—Juliomagus—may be older, it is only attested from the 3rd century. The Roman town consisted of many villas and baths and had an amphitheater as well as a Mithraeum , a temple dedicated to Mithra . Successive Germanic invasions in AD ;275 and 276 forced

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564-678: The Angers castle stands. The urban structure there dates back from the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries. A military presence there was attested from the 3rd century and some remains of an antique city wall are still visible on the castle grounds. This wall was built to protect the city from the Germanic invasions of AD 275 and 276. During the Middle Ages, the castle was the core of the city's defence system, composed of tall city walls and river chains which prevented enemy ships from going up

611-769: The Black Death (1347–1350) and the Hundred Years War (1337–1453). A man of great culture and generosity, René transformed Angers into a cultural and political center and held court there. He transformed the castle moat into a menagerie and built several gardens. He also founded in Angers a new Ordre du Croissant which was supposed to compete with the Order of the Golden Fleece , created several years earlier. In 1474, Louis XI of France , in his attempt to conquer Anjou, came to Angers with his army, asking for

658-467: The Communauté urbaine Angers Loire Métropole . All these peripheral communes are situated within 17 km (11 mi) from Angers proper. Together, they have around 272,400 inhabitants. Angers has an oceanic climate , with moderate rain year-round. Winters have scarce frosts and snowfalls, and summers are warm and sunny. The oldest streets and buildings in Angers are located on the promontory where

705-452: The Fronde . Angers again became rebellious and Louis XIV sent his army to seize it. The Duke of Rohan immediately surrendered and thus again prevented the sack of the city. Communaut%C3%A9 urbaine Angers Loire M%C3%A9tropole The Communauté urbaine Angers Loire Métropole is the communauté urbaine , an intercommunal structure, centred on the city of Angers . It is located in

752-700: The Maine-et-Loire department , in the Pays de la Loire region , western France . It was created in January 2016, replacing the previous Communauté d'agglomération d'Angers Loire Métropole . It was expanded with the commune of Loire-Authion in January 2018. Its area is 666.7 km . Its population was 299,476 in 2018, of which 154,508 in Angers proper. The Communauté urbaine Angers Loire Métropole gathers 29 communes : 47°30′N 0°33′W  /  47.500°N 0.550°W  / 47.500; -0.550 This Maine-et-Loire geographical article

799-693: The Mayenne . It was the aldermen who stopped the slaughter. In 1598, the Edict of Nantes was prepared by Henri IV in Angers. From 6 March until 2 April, Angers was the de facto capital of France and the King tried all means to satisfy the Catholics of the city, for example by laying the cornerstone of the new Capucine convent. In 1619, Louis XIII of France gave the governance of Anjou to his mother, Marie de' Medici . The Queen Mother settled in Angers, at

846-468: The Second World War , several large council estates made of tower blocks were built around the city center, the first of them being Belle-Beille in 1953. Industrial activity changed drastically: port activity declined while new factories, such as Technicolor SA in 1957, were built. During the 1970s, the collective approach to urban development gave way to more individual houses being built for

893-513: The habitués . He was tutor to Marie-Madeleine Pioche de la Vergne, comtesse de la Fayette , later the great writer, to whom he was very attached. He was admitted to the Accademia della Crusca of Florence , but his caustic sarcasm led to his exclusion from the Académie française . Ménage made many enemies and suffered under the satire of Boileau and of Molière . Molière immortalized him as

940-444: The middle class . As the metropolitan area continued to grow, commuting became more common. New shopping areas were constructed close to the villages which had been subsumed into the city. Because of the floodplains that surround the city north and south, Angers can only grow significantly on an east–west axis. Being both at the edge of the Val de Loire World Heritage site and on the largest river confluence in France, Angers has

987-621: The province of Anjou . During the 12th century, after internal divisions in Brittany , the county of Nantes was annexed by Anjou . Henry II Plantagenêt kept it for more than 30 years. The grandson of Henry I of England , he also succeeded to the English crown and ruled the vast Angevin Empire , which stretched from the Pyrenees to Ireland . The castle of Angers was then the seat of

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1034-656: The Court and the dynasty. The Empire disappeared in 1204–1205 when the King of France, Philip II , seized Normandy and Anjou. Henceforth, there were no more counts of Anjou , as the French king had made Anjou a dukedom. Now a part of the Kingdom of France , Angers became the "Key to the Kingdom" ( Clé du Royaume ) facing still independent Brittany . In 1228, during Louis IX 's minority, Blanche of Castile decided to fortify

1081-559: The Logis Barrault, with her chaplain, Cardinal Richelieu . At the premature death of Louis XIII in 1643, his son Louis XIV was only an infant. France was troubled at this time by several famines and epidemics, and by political instability. In 1649, the people of Angers revolted against rising taxes, the start of the Fronde in Anjou . The Fronde was a nationwide military conflict opposing some aristocrats wanting more autonomy and

1128-643: The Maine. The walls were last reconstructed between 1230 and 1240, by order of King Louis IX . Today, portions of the wall are still visible in Rue Toussaint and on Boulevard Carnot, as are some towers, like the Tour Villebon and the Tour des Anglais . Before the first cadastre (1810), the city had not extended much beyond its medieval limits: on and around the castle promontory, with some dwellings on

1175-667: The Royal forces loyal to Anne of Austria as Queen Mother and Regent, and her prime minister, Cardinal Mazarin . Royalist repression in Angers was narrowly averted by Bishop Henri Arnauld , who interceded with the Queen Mother. Arnauld, who would remain Bishop of Angers until 1692, was to leave a deep mark on the religious life of the city during the second half of the 17th century. In 1652, Henri Chabot , Duke of Rohan and governor of Anjou , decided to back Louis of Condé , leader of

1222-541: The borders of Brittany . However, the situation remained dangerous for Angers, and Charles the Bald created in 853 a wide buffer zone around Brittany comprising parts of Anjou , Touraine , Maine and Sées , which was ruled by Robert the Strong , a great-grandfather of Hugh Capet . In 870, the Viking chief Hastein seized Angers where he settled until a successful siege temporarily displaced him. He again took control of

1269-527: The city and to rebuild the castle. Later, during the 1350s and 1360s, the schools of Law, Medicine and Theology, renowned in Europe , were organized into a university. In 1373, Louis I of Naples and Anjou ordered the six tapestries illustrating the Apocalypse of St John known today as the Apocalypse Tapestry . King René of Anjou contributed to the economic revival in a city that had been diminished by

1316-494: The eastern bank of the Maine, where the former Juliomagus had been founded. The medieval city center was redeveloped and expanded from 1791. The Place du Ralliement , the main square, was then built in place of three churches destroyed during the French Revolution and, later, ring boulevards planted with trees replaced the city walls. The architectural style used is mainly Haussmanian , but there are also some Palladian , Art Nouveau or Art Deco buildings. After 1945 and

1363-693: The first botanical garden , dates back from the beginning of the 18th century. During the 19th century, others were built, for example the Faculty of Pharmacy garden and the Roseraie. The first recreational parks, for their part, were built during the Second French Empire . The étang Saint-Nicolas , made by a sluice on a small river, the Brionneau, was protected as early as 1936. The Jardin du Mail ( Mall Garden ), an esplanade situated outside

1410-569: The household of Cardinal de Retz (then coadjutor to the Archbishop of Paris ), where he had leisure for literary pursuits. Some time after 1648, he quarrelled with his patron and withdrew to a house in the cloister of Notre-Dame de Paris , where he gathered round him on Wednesday evenings those literary assemblies which he called "Mercuriales." Jean Chapelain , Paul Pellisson , Valentin Conrart , Jean François Sarrazin and Du Bos were among

1457-472: The inhabitants to move to the highest point of their city and to build a wall around a small area of around 9 hectares (22 acres). Angers received its first bishop in 372 during the election of Martin of Tours . The first abbey, Saint-Aubin, was built during the 7th century to house the sarcophagus of Saint Albinius . Saint-Serge Abbey was founded by the Merovingian kings Clovis II and Theuderic III

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1504-546: The key evokes the stronghold position of the city close to the Breton border. An acrostic from the Middle Ages calls it Antique clef de France , which means "Ancient key to France": Under Napoleon I 's rule, Angers was one of the "Bonnes villes" and was therefore allowed to ask for a new coat of arms. The bees, symbol of the First French Empire , then replaced the royal fleurs de lys. In 1949, Angers received

1551-478: The keys of the city. René, then 65 years old, did not want to lead a war against his nephew and surrendered his domains without a fight. Thus, Anjou ceased to be an appanage and fell into the Royal domain. After his death, René was buried in 1480 in Saint-Maurice cathedral . In 1551, Angers became the seat of a bailiwick and the presidial court of a jurisdiction, a position the city kept until 1790. At

1598-574: The modern one. It is successively mentioned as Andecava civitas (6th century), Andecavis (AD 769), Andegavis (861  -  882), Angieus (in 1127) and Angeus (in 1205). The form Angiers appeared during the 12th century and was later corrupted to "Angers". The Latin Andecavum also gave Anjou its name. This double formation is quite common in France and is also seen in Poitiers and Poitou , and Bourges and Berry . Angers

1645-632: The north and south, where the river Maine arrives in and leaves Angers, the landscape is formed by islands, ponds and floodplains which are a haven for birds and a typical flora of the Val de Loire . The étang Saint-Nicolas and Lac de Maine , both artificial, are among the biggest green areas of the city. The commune of Angers is bordered by ten other communes which form various suburbs. These are, clockwise, Avrillé , Cantenay-Épinard , Écouflant , Saint-Barthélemy-d'Anjou , Trélazé , Les Ponts-de-Cé , Sainte-Gemmes-sur-Loire , Bouchemaine and Beaucouzé . 22 other communes situated farther form with them

1692-584: The other bank of the Maine in a neighbourhood called La Doutre . That part of the city developed quickly during the industrial revolution and became a big river port. Industry was encouraged by firms like Bessonneau (textile factories) and Cointreau (distillery). After 1850, many suburbs appeared around the train stations and the slate quarries to the south in Trélazé . Despite the port in La Doutre, demographic growth and urban extension were more significant on

1739-701: The pedant Vadius in Les Femmes savantes , a portrait Ménage pretended to ignore. In 1664 he published at London an edition of the Lives of Eminent Philosophers by Diogenes Laërtius that contains an unedited anonymous life of Aristotle; this life was known as 'Vita Menagiana' before the critical edition by Ingemar Düring , ( Aristotle in the Ancient Biographical Tradition Stockholm: Almqvist & Wiksell 1957; reprinted New York, Garland, 1987, pp. 80–93) with

1786-484: The present or the past." Ménage died in Paris in 1692. After his death his friends published, under the title of Menagiana , a collection of his witticisms and table talk. The edition of this collection by Bernard de la Monnoye (2 vols., 1693/4) has found favor. Angers Angers ( UK : / ˈ ɒ̃ ʒ eɪ / , US : / ɒ̃ ˈ ʒ eɪ , ˈ æ n dʒ ər z / ; French: [ɑ̃ʒe] )

1833-536: The ring boulevards, was built between 1820 and 1880 on the former Champs de Mars (Fields of Mars, a place where the garrisons used to train and parade). Another esplanade, the Mail François Mitterrand , was built in 1999 together with a garden inside the new Saint-Serge business district. During the 1960s the old gravel pits around the Maine were filled with water to form the Lac de Maine, which now hosts

1880-422: The river Maine . The Maine crosses Angers and heads south towards the Loire . The confluence of the three rivers and the proximity of the Loire make up a natural crossroads which favoured the foundation of the antique Juliomagus . Angers is located 91 km (57 mi) from Nantes , 124 km (77 mi) from Rennes , 132 km (82 mi) from Poitiers and 297 km (185 mi) from Paris . It

1927-663: The same time, with the growth of Protestantism in France, a Catholic was placed at the head of the city and its castle while the bourgeoisie formed a Catholic militia to protect Angers from the Huguenots . The bishop, Gabriel Bouvery , organized on his side an "Angevin League". When the news of the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre reached Angers, another massacre took place in the city. The bodies of slain Protestants were thrown into

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1974-530: The title 'Vita Hesychii' (the attribution to Hesychius of Miletus is controversial). In 1690, he also published a supplement to the work of Diogenes Laërtius titled Historia Mulierum Philosopharum . It is more than a scholarly compilation of 65 women philosophers he had found from his studies of the books of ancient writers. He intended to create a history for these women and dedicated his work to Anne Lefevre Dacier (1654 – 17 August 1720), whom he described in his introduction as "the most learned of women whether of

2021-533: The town in 873, before the Carolingian Emperor ousted him. Fulk I of Anjou , a Carolingian descendant, was the first viscount of Angers (before 898 until 929) and of Tours (898–909), and count of Nantes (909–919). Around 929, he took the title of count (earl) of Angers and founded the first Anjou dynasty, the House of Ingelger ( French: Ingelgeriens ). Angers subsequently formed the capital of

2068-568: Was an important stronghold in northwestern France. It was the cradle of the Plantagenet dynasty and became one of the intellectual centers of Europe during the reign of René of Anjou . Angers developed at the confluence of three rivers, the Mayenne , the Sarthe , and the Loir , all coming from the north and flowing south to the Loire . Their confluence, just north of Angers, creates the Maine ,

2115-545: Was known as Juliomagus Andecavorum ("Juliomagus of the Andecavi "), in reference to the principal Gallic tribe in and around the city. Around AD 400, the city came to be referred to as the civitas Andecavorum (" tribal capital of the Andecavi"). This was a common change in Gaul, also seen in the names of Paris , Tours and Évreux around this time. During the Middle Ages, the late Latin name gradually developed into

2162-684: Was then known as Juliomagus ( ‹See Tfd› Greek : Ἰουλιόμαγος , Iouliómagos ), a name by which it also appears in the Tabula Peutingeriana . The name is a compound of the Latin name Julius (probably in reference to Julius Caesar ) and the Celtic magos , "market". Similar town dedications were common in Roman Gaul , and toponyms often kept a Gallic element. When the location needed to be distinguished from other Juliomagi, it

2209-425: Was traditionally known as the "Black City" ( la Ville Noire ) because many roofs were built of slate , due to the quarry in neighbouring Trélazé . These have become less common since the development of the city in the 19th century. The city has also been known as: The coat of arms of Angers bears the French royal fleur de lys of the dukes of Anjou (the first duke was the son of the king of France, Jean II );

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