Two partially
ruined towers, dominating the village....
THE CASTLE OF CINQ-MARS
(Le Château de Cinq-Mars)
Dominating
the village, which stretches along the banks of the Loire River between
Tours and Langeais, the Château de Cinq-Mars dates back before
the XIth century. Only two partially ruined towers now mark the castle,
which was built on the site of an earlier Roman fortress.
After visiting the castle, you may either return directly to the
parking lot through the gate at the end of the moat (4), or walk to
the 'Juiverie' (Jewish quarter, 6) where you can enjoy the wiew overlooking
the village rooftops, the Loire River, and the Church
of Saint Médard, burial site of the Marquis de Cinq-Mars's
mother.
1 - You are here.
2
- The bridge.
3
- The two towers.
4
- Path leading back
to the parking lot.
5
- Path around the moat.
6
- "La Juiverie".
7
- Lord's Apartments.
With its towers,
moat and fortifications, Cinq-Mars is a typical feudal castle. A reproduction
of the Parcellaire (deeds records) of 1772 describes the state of the
castle at the end of the 18th century.
To
enter the castle, cross over the BRIDGE
(2). This fine stone construction, with its three arches, replaced the
drawbridge in the 16th century. A shady path leads to the castle fortifications.
The base of the towers is planted with shrubbery and evergreen trees.
Each of the two TOWERS
(3) contains three rooms - one on each floor - including one underground
level. The rooms all feature Gothic ribbed-vaulted ceilings.
The
East Tower, dating from the 12th century, is constructed of stone blocks
laid on a foundation of flint covered with a layer of extremely hard
mortar. The middle of the northeast side was later repaired. The tower
is flanked by a smaller tower containing a 14th century spiral staircase.
On
the first floor is a large, square room: the veins of the eight branches
of Gothic vaulting have prism-shaped mouldings. This beautiful room
is illuminated from the north by a 12th century window. The room also
contains a large chimney as well as a mullioned window, both of them
dating from the 15th century.
Several
objects are worth noting: a facsimile
reproduction of the letter written
by the Marquis de Cinq-Mars to his mother just a few hours before his
execution; a sword which has been discovered buried at the foot of the
tower; the furniture and the impressive coats of armor. These objects
add life to the other rooms which have remained intact since the 15th
century.
The
window in the South Tower overlooks a triangular spur in the fortifications,
which contains a garden and a maze of lavender.
Below the spur is the "Juiverie"
("Jewish Quarter", 6). In the background, the Chinon forest.
From
the top of the East Tower, the visitor enjoys a panoramic view of the
region: Villandry gardens, Château de Luynes to the east and Château
de Langeais to the west.
The
MOAT
(5) is unexpectedly wide, deep and cool. Above it, the fortified walls
bear the Lord's Cordon. Constructed of evenly cut blocks of stone arranged
without mortar, the walls were probably built in the 16th century by
the La Tremoïlle family, who owned the castle at that time.
The
same family also added Renaissance private apartments, only a part of
which still exists today.
However, a watercolor
painted by Gaignières in 1699
(at right) and preserved in the Bibliothèque Nationale de France,
shows how this building looked originally.
The
Lords of the castle actually lived in the manorhouse or LORD'S
APARTMENTS (7). Today, only one wing
of these apartments remains standing, as the rest of the building was
demolished around 1840, in order to create a garden in the Romantic
style with rolling hills and dark evergreen trees.
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