| 12nd | Top Benedictine monasteries in France |
Coordinates: 47°28′25″N 0°33′15″W / 47.473612°N 0.554167°W
| Ville d'Angers | |
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| Château d'Angers | |
| Location | |
 
Angers
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| Time zone | CET (GMT +1) |
| Administration | |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Region | Pays de la Loire |
| Department | Maine-et-Loire |
| Arrondissement | Angers |
| Intercommunality | Angers Loire Metropole |
| Mayor | Jean-Claude Antonini (PS) (2001–2014) |
| Statistics | |
| Elevation | 12–64 m (39–210 ft) (avg. 20 m/66 ft) |
| Land area1 | 42.70 km2 (16.49 sq mi) |
| Population2 | 157,000 (1999 estimate) |
| - Density | 3,677 /km2 (9,520 /sq mi) |
| Miscellaneous | |
| INSEE/Postal code | 49007/ 49000 |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
| 2 Population sans doubles comptes: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. | |
Angers is a city in the Maine-et-Loire department in north-western France about 300 km (190 mi) south-west of Paris. Angers is located in the French region known by its pre-revolutionary, provincial name, Anjou, and its inhabitants are called Angevins.
Angers proper has a population of 157,000 inhabitants, while c. 283,000 live in its metropolitan area. The city traces its roots to early Roman times. It occupies both banks of the Maine, which is spanned by six bridges. The district along the river is famous for its flourishing nurseries and market gardens. It is well known for its fresh produce and cut flowers.
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The first sign of human presence on the site of Angers is a stone tool dated back to 400,000 BC (Lower Paleolithic). The earliest known inhabitants were the Andecavi, a Gallic tribe that was overrun by the Romans. The city, while under Roman rule, was called Juliomagus.
The Council of Angers was held here in 453.
The city suffered severely from the invasions of the Vikings (in 845 and succeeding years)
Angers was once the capital of the historic province of Anjou. Beginning in the ninth century, the region was controlled by a powerful family of feudal lords. It is the cradle of the House of Plantagenet who ruled England from the twelfth century and gave name to the Angevin Kings of England. During this time the Hospital of Saint-Jean was built in Angers by King Henry II of England. The edifice still stands to this day, now housing an important museum. In 1204 Angers was conquered by King Philippe II.
The Huguenots took it in 1585, and the Vendean royalists were defeated nearby in 1793 during the siege of Angers. Until the French Revolution Angers was the seat of a celebrated university founded in the 14th century.
The site of a massive and ancient château, the city is also noted for the impressive twin spires of the twelfth century Cathedral of Saint-Maurice. Other noteworthy churches around Angers include St. Serge, an abbey-church of the 12th and 15th centuries, and the twelfth century La Trinité Cathedral.
The elaborately sculptured eleventh and twelfth century arcades of the famous abbey of Saint Aubin survive in the courtyard of the Prefecture and Hotel du Departement. The tower of the abbey church has also survived nearby[1]
Ruins of the old churches of Toussaint (thirteenth century) and Notre-Dame du Ronceray (eleventh century) are also nearby. The ancient hospital of St. Jean (twelfth century) is occupied by Jean Lurcat's tapestries. The Logis Barrault, a mansion built in 1486-92, houses the Musee des Beaux-Arts, which has a large collection of paintings and sculptures. In 1984 the former abbey church of Toussaint became the Musee David d'Angers consisting of works by the sculptor David d'Angers, who was a native of the town. In the middle of a main boulevard near the museum stands his bronze statue of René of Anjou, who was born in the chateau of Angers.
The Hôtel de Pincé or d'Anjou (1523–1530) is the finest of the stone mansions of Angers. There are also many curious wooden houses of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The Palais de Justice, the Catholic Institute, a fine theatre, and a hospital with 1500 beds are the more remarkable of the modern buildings of the town. Angers is the seat of a bishopric, dating from the third century; a prefecture; a court of appeal; and a court of assizes (criminal courts). It has a tribunal of first instance, a tribunal of commerce, a board of trade-arbitrators, a chamber of commerce, a branch of the Bank of France, and several learned societies.
The early prosperity of the town is largely due to the nearby quarries of slate, whose abundant use for the roofs of Angers led to the city's nickname, the "Black City" (or "La ville noire", in French). Other industries (noted in the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica) included the distillation of liqueurs from fruit (the orange liqueur Cointreau is only distilled in the town of Angers and in the surrounding area of St. Barthélemy d'Anjou); cable, rope, and thread-making; the manufacture of boots, shoes, umbrellas, and parasols; weaving of sail-cloth and fabrics; machine construction; wire-drawing; and the manufacture of sparkling wines and preserved fruits. The chief articles of commerce, besides slate and manufactured goods, were hemp, early vegetables, fruit, flowers, and live-stock.
Many of these industries in 1911 have since disappeared. Nowadays industry consists of manufacturing lorries (Scania) and computers (Bull, Packard-Bell, NEC) as well as research in horticulture and biotechnologies.
Angers is connected by Motorway A11 to Paris (c. 295 km) and to Nantes (c. 90 km). A TGV railways line goes from Angers-St Laud station to Paris in some 1h35. The nearest airport is the Angers - Loire Airport.
In 1850 a catastrophic failure of the Angers Bridge caused the deaths of over 250 soldiers. It inhibited the construction of suspension bridges for many years in France.
Angers has an orchestra, ONPL (Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire), shared with Nantes, a local theatre NTA (Nouveau Théatre d'Angers) and a dance school CNDC (Centre National de Danse Contemporaine).
Angers has a few important museums on the national level:
Angers is an important center for tapestries, especially contemporary tapestry.
It calls itself the "most flowered city in Europe", and its displays of live and cut flowers are stunning. The city's Jardin des Plantes d'Angers and Jardin botanique de la Faculté de Pharmacie d'Angers are a historic botanical gardens, and its Arboretum Gaston Allard is a major arboretum. It is also well-known for being the seat of important cultural events, such as the film festival Premiers Plans, Tour de Scènes (free concerts in the streets) and Les Accroche-Coeurs (free street festival).
Angers has many sport teams playing at top levels:
A centre of learning, Angers boasts two renowned universities and several specialized institutions, altogether responsible for more than 40,000 students. The city is host of L'Université Catholique de l'Ouest (UCO), one of five Catholic universities in France and a state university Université d'Angers .
Angers's other educational institutions include lycées; training colleges, an engineering school in manufacturing (ENSAM), an engineering school in electronics and computer science (ESEO), and a school of fine art. Its education and research institutes are the driving force behind the city's science and technology industries.
Angers's Business School is ESSCA (Ecole Superieure des Sciences Commerciales d'Angers). Formerly part of the UCO, the school's program is of a duration of five years. ESSCA is one of the best business schools in France, recruiting students after the Baccalaureat.
In addition to French schools and universities, an American university St. Edward's University has new expanding campus in Angers. St. Edward’s University is a diverse, Catholic liberal arts institution from Austin, TX. The university has a partnership with UCO, and offers a variety of courses of undergraduate level and professional training.
The city is the birthplace of:
Angers is twinned with:=
Haarlem, Netherlands, since 1964
Osnabrück, Germany, since 1964
Bamako, Mali, since 1974
Pisa, Italy, since 1982 [3]
Wigan, United Kingdom, since 1988
Södertälje, Sweden, since 1998
Seville, Spain, since 2000
Yantai, China, since 2006
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Angers is a medium sized French city which is the capital of the Maine-et-Loire département in the northwestern region of Pays de la Loire. It offers the traveller a mixture of an typical French night-life, historically rich street-scapes & great shopping opportunities.
To historians & travellers interested in discovering France's rich medieval history Angers is located in the French region which was known as Anjou in the Middle Ages. Today Angers is an bustling French city which is home to around 150,000 people in the city itself and roughly 270,000 people in the greater metropolitan area.
Like most French cities Angers can be easily accessed by motorway. The A11 connects Angers to the French capital Paris and nearby Le Mans. By car Angers lies roughly 295km west of Paris and 95km west of Le Mans.
Angers is also close to Nantes, Tours & Rennes, all of which are connected to Angers by motorway. Many of the motorways charge a toll which can vary from €2 up to €25.
TGV offers frequent rail-links between Angers and many of France's major towns and cities. The trains are of generally of a very high quality, offer very comfortable seating and have suitable storage spaces for luggage. Trains are quite regular and generally depart on time. Ticket checks take place on every journey, as a result it is very important that you are in possession of a valid ticket at all times. Smoking is not permitted anywhere on the train and the use of mobile phones in the seating area of the carriage is frowned upon by other passengers.
Angers is...
See more details at the airport website [1]
Public buses are widely available in Angers. The main bus terminal, Lorraine, is located on Boulevard Foch, north of Jardin du Mail. These provide frequent access to the town-centre from the train station. Tickets, which can be purchased on the buses, cost €1.20 for a 1 hour unlimited ticket or €3.30 for a whole-day pass. Bus routes are clearly marked on the maps which are in most bus stops.
Currently, the city is constructing a one-line tramway that will provide access throughout the town and will cross the river. It will connect two suburbs of Angers, La Roseraie and Avrillé. Construction began in late 2008 and is expected to finish mid 2010.
A second line has been approved and is expected to be completed by 2015. This will connect Beaucouzé to Monplaisir/Parc d'Expos. However, construction has yet to begin.
Travellers who don't feel confident enough to take the bus can avail of a taxi. Taxis cannot be hailed on the street, however there is a taxi point next to the train station. One of the main taxi companies is Allo Anjou.
One of the best ways to experience Angers is by foot and generally all of the main tourist attractions and shopping areas are located in close proximity to one another. One exception to this is the nearby lake, Lac de Maine, which is roughly 30 minutes from outside of the centre of town. It is located to the north of Parc Balzac, west of the banks of the Maine river. However, on a summer evening a walk out to the lake and back can be quite pleasant.
For being a fair-sized town, Angers has a lot to offer in terms of entertainment and night-life.
There are three cinemas: Gaumont Variétés (Blvd. Foch), Les Quatre Cent Coups (Rue Clavell) and Gaumont Multiplexe (St. Serge).
The main pedestrians strip runs along rue St. Laud. There you will find many cafés, such as Bar du Centre, and bars.
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ANGERS, a city of western France, capital of the department of Maine-et-Loire, 191 m. S.W. of Paris by the Western railway to Nantes. Pop. (1906) 73,585. It occupies rising ground on both banks of the Maine, which are united by three bridges. The surrounding district is famous for its flourishing nurseries and market gardens. Pierced with wide, straight streets, well provided with public gardens, and surrounded by ample, treelined boulevards, beyond which lie new suburbs, Angers is one of the pleasantest towns in France. Of its numerous medieval buildings the most important is the cathedral of St Maurice, dating in the main from the 12th and 13th centuries. Between the two flanking towers of the west facade, the spires of which are of the 16th century, rises a central tower of the same period. The most prominent feature of the facade is the series of eight warriors carved on the base of this tower. The vaulting of the nave takes the form of a series of cupolas, and that of the choir and transept is similar. The chief treasures of the church are its rich stained glass (12th, 13th and 15th centuries) and valuable tapestry (14th to 18th centuries). The bishop's palace which adjoins the cathedral contains a fine synodal hall of the 12th century. Of the other churches of Angers, the principal are St Serge, an abbey-church of the 12th and 15th centuries, and La Trinite (12th century). The prefecture occupies the buildings of the famous abbey of St Aubin; in its courtyard are elaborately sculptured arcades of the 11 th and 12th centuries, from which period dates the tower, the only survival of the splendid abbeychurch. Ruins of the old churches of Toussaint (13th century) and Notre-Dame du Ronceray (11th century) are also to be seen. The castle of Angers, an imposing building girt with towers and a moat, dates from the 13th century and is now used as an armoury. The ancient hospital of St Jean (12th century) is occupied by an archaeological museum; and the Logis Barrault, a mansion built about 1500, contains the public library, the municipal museum, which has a large collection of pictures and sculptures, and the Musee David, containing works by the famous sculptor David d'Angers, who was a native of the town. One of his masterpieces, a bronze statue of Rene of Anjou, stands close by the castle. The Hotel de Pince or d'Anjou (1523-1530) is the finest of the stone mansions of Angers; there are also many curious wooden houses of the 15th and 16th centuries. The palais de justice, the Catholic institute, a fine theatre, and a hospital with 1500 beds are the more remarkable of the modern buildings of the town. Angers is the seat of a bishopric, dating from the 3rd century, a prefecture, a court of appeal and a court of assizes. It has a tribunal of first instance, a tribunal of commerce, a board of trade-arbitrators, a chamber of commerce, a branch of the Bank of France and several learned societies. Its educational institutions include ecclesiastical seminaries, a lycee, a preparatory school of medicine and pharmacy, a university with free faculties (facultes libres) of theology, law, letters and science, a higher school of agriculture, training colleges, a school of arts and handicrafts and a school of fine art. The prosperity of the town is largely due to the great slate-quarries of the vicinity, but the distillation of liqueurs from fruit, cable, rope and thread-making, and the manufacture of boots and shoes, umbrellas and parasols are leading industries. The weaving of sail-cloth and woollen and other fabrics, machine construction, wire-drawing, and manufacture of sparkling wines and preserved fruits are also carried on. The chief articles of commerce, besides slate and manufactured goods, are hemp, early vegetables, fruit, flowers and live-stock.
Angers, capital of the Gallic tribe of the Andecavi, was under the Romans called Juliomagus. During the 9th century it became the seat of the counts of Anjou. It suffered severely from the invasions of the Northmen in 845 and the succeeding years, and of the English in the 12th and 15th centuries; the Huguenots took it in 1585, and the Vendean royalists were repulsed near it in 1793. Till the Revolution, Angers was the seat of a celebrated university founded in the 14th century.
See L. M. Thorode, Notice de la vine d'Angers (Angers, 1897).
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Angers is a city in the west of France. Around 160,000 inhabitants live inside the city and 300,000 live in the metropolitan area.
It is the capital of the historical province called Anjou. Nowadays, the name of Anjou is Maine-et-Loire. The inhabitants of Angers and of Anjou are called 'angevins'.
The city existed before the Roman Empire. After the Roman conquest, the city was called Juliomagus. Angers was an important french city during the Middle-Ages. There is one of the bigger castles of Europe in the city.
It is now the 16th city of France (for its population). It is an economic center, a touristic and cultural town. Many festivals happen every year in the city (film festival 'Premiers plans', street festivals 'Tours de scène' and the famous 'Accroches-coeurs'). It has many museums. The museum of Beaux-Arts (a famous Art museum) and "Apocalypse Tapestry" (the oldest and largest collection of medieval tapestries in the world) are very famous.
There are two universities. More than 17,000 students go to the 'Université d'Angers' (a state university) and 12,000 go to the 'Université Catholique de l'Ouest' (a private catholic university). The 'Ecole Superieure des Sciences Commerciales d'Angers' is one of the most prestigious business school in France.
   | Angers Airport - Angers Airport - The Unofficial Guide |
| | Angers SCO Officiel Website - SCO Angers : Site non Officiel d'Angers SCO |
| | English-language library in Angers - English-language Library in Angers |
| | Visiting Angers (with map) - Angers Angers France tourist information |
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