Château de Brézé

Useful Information

Location:	At Brézé. From Saumur D93 south east for 10 km.
Open:	FEB to MAR Tue-Fri 14-18, Sat, Sun 10-18. APR to SEP daily 10-18:30. OCT to DEC Tue-Fri 14-18, Sat, Sun 10-18. Closed on 01-NOV, 11-NOV, 24-DEC, 25-DEC, 31-DEC. [2010]
Fee:	Self guided: Adults EUR 8.50, School Pupils EUR 4.50. Guided tour: Adults EUR 9, School Pupils EUR 4.50. Guided tour with wine: Adults EUR 10.50. [2010]
Classification:	Casemates Cave Castle Cellar
Light:
Dimension:
Guided tours:	Underground tour: D=105 min. Underground plus Chateau: D=150 min.
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address:	Château de Brézé, 2 rue du Château, 49260 Breze, Tel: +33-241-516015, Fax: +33-241-516515. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1960	listed an ancient monument.

Description

The Château de Brézé is one of the numerous castles along the Loire. It is also an underground site. The castle looks as if it was built for pleasure only, the building U-shaped, the open central square giving the impression to be welcomed. But the five-story-high castle is surrounded by an even deeper moat, 18 m deep and 13 m wide. This moat is actually an underground fortification surrounding and protecting the castle. The moat is connected with casematts, cellars and tunnels.

The underground tour has an impressive length of more than one kilometre. It includes an underground ice-house (an early fridge), the largest underground boulangerie (bakery) in France, and of course the mandatory Son et Lumière. There is also a huge wine cellar, with underground wine presses fed from the surface through shafts into which grapes were dropped.

The castle was built during the 13th century with a vast dry moat. The moat was deepened further during the 15th century. Between 15th and 17th century most of the underground structures were created. The deep moat and the other fortifications were intended to protect the castle against marauders. The task was fulfilled, as it was never taken. Actually it was never besieged, which may be blamed to the effective fortification.

It seems the castle was originally only an underground structure. After centuries, it was completed in the 15th century by an above ground castle built on top of it. This structure is a grand château in the typical Loire style.