Chateau de Brissac is located in the village of Brissac-Quince, just south of Angers in the Maine-Loire area, the western part of the Loire Valley.
With seven floors, it’s the tallest chateaux in the whole of France.
Château de Brissac History
In 1502, Charles II of Cosse, Duke of Brissac, built the chateau on top of the original eleventh-century, medieval fortress foundations.
Another major rebuilding began in 1606 when the duke planned a more prestigious home. In the end, he failed to complete his plans, as the medieval towers show.
The fantastic facade you see today dates back to then. You’ll notice that at the junction of the towers, it looks incomplete, wrapped like a cracked nutshell.
Inside the Chateau de Brissac, one can find room after room of exquisite antique furniture, paintings, and tapestries dating from the fifteenth through the eighteenth centuries.
Many pieces also have historic significance to France’s past and the history of the family. One important historical event occurred in the sixteenth century. At that time, the Cosse-Brissacs were allied with the Catholic party of Guise, who were fighting the Protestants.
After the death of Henry III, the next in line was Henry IV of Navarre, a Protestant. Yet, in 1594, when Henry IV came to Paris to be recognized, it was a Brissac, then the Governor of Paris, who negotiated on his behalf and let him enter. (Henry IV subsequently converted to Catholicism.)
Another historic event took place inside the Chateau de Brissac when Louis XIII reconciled with his mother, Marie de Medicis. The reconciliation took place in the King’s Bedroom.
The dining room is only one of the many historic and splendid rooms open to public tours. Many rooms are hung with magnificent tapestries and have painted ceilings. The most sumptuous rooms include the King’s Bedroom, the Mortemart Room (Anne de Mortemart became the Duchess of Uzes), and the Room of the Hunt.
Memorabilia and decorations in the Room of the Hunt show the French aristocracy’s age-old devotion to the hunt. Both the Marquis and Marquise today are avid hunters and can arrange hunting for experienced riders.
The Marquis is chairman of the Angers race course and France’s representative in the world association of historical houses. He is Grandmaster of the Order of St. Lazarus, an ancient order of chivalry. The Marquise has a theology degree.
The Chateau de Brissac has many unique features. There is a private theatre, built in the nineteenth century for a duchess who loved acting and singing.
There is a private chapel. And as you tread the massive main staircase, note the steps are made of monolithic slabs of stone.
While touring these rooms with their sumptuous decorations, you’ll appreciate great style, typical of a country at the forefront of art, decoration, and fashion.
For centuries the French have raised design to high art – shown here in the luxuries that make the rooms a never-ending delight.
Château de Brissac Visitor Information
Tickets:
Adult ticket – 9 €
Students and disabled persons – 8 €
Children tickets: (age 8-16) 4,50 €, children under 8 – free admission,
Group discounted tickets (20 or more) – 7,50 € pp
Opening times:
July – August: daily from 10:00 -18:00 (guided tours only)
April – June and September-October: daily, from 10:00 to 12:15 and 14:00 to 18:00 (closed on Tuesdays)
November-March: open during school holidays
Contact details:
Please contact the Tourist Office for more information and booking:
Phone. : 33 (0)2 41 91 22 21 /Fax: 33 (0)2 41 91 25 60
E-mail :chateau-brissac@wanadoo.fr
Visit other Castles in the Loire Valey region:
Chateau de Chambord,
Chateau de Chenonceau
Chateau de Blois
Chateau d Azay le Rideau
Chateau d Anet
Château de Brissac Location
Château de Brissac Adress: Rue Louis Moron, 49320 Brissac-Quincé, France. Get help with directions: