Rebuilt practically in the Loire riverbed, the Château de Montsoreau in one of the earliest proofs of the prosperity which followed the Hundred Year’s War. The town benefited at that time from a sizeable toll on the river traffic, a source of profit for the Seigneurs of Montsoreau, and also from a busy harbour connected to the powerful abbey at Fontevraud.
The reconstruction of the Château was ordered by Jean de Chambes, one of Charles VII’s Counsellors, and at one time a partner in a shipping company with the famous banker Jacques Coeur. The building, closely linked to the river, has some original architectural features which make this little known Château an interesting and attractive place to visit. Its abundant light, its comfort, the grace and originality of its dormer windows and its Italianate carvings, ensure it a prominent place in the heterogeneous but harmonious succession of the Loire Châteaux.
And, for lovers of literature, the famous Dame de Montsoreau by Alexandre Dumas must not be forgotten… even if the historic truth differs somewhat from the novel.
