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THE ANGEVIN DYNASTY IN LE MANS… |
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The former capital of Maine holds many relics of the Angevin Dynasty.
The architectural remains are the walls and windows of the Angevin Counts’ and Sovereigns’ private apartments in the present-day town hall, Saint-Pierre-La Cour collegiate, the nave of the cathedral, as well as, beyond the old town, c, the Church of Le Pré, Hôtel-Dieu Coëffort and Épau Abbey.
Among the notable events in the town, many of which were of political interest, mention should be made of the birth in the palace and the christening in Geoffroi Cathedral of the person who founded the dynasty. His marriage in the Cathedral to Matilda, the heir to the Kingdom of England; the birth and christening of Henri, the future Henri II, King of England; not to mention Queen Berengaria, Richard the Lionheart’s widow, who spent her last years here.
Le Mans is a town which can be proud of its history and of the Angevin dynasty (the House of Plantagenêt) especially, since the name Plantagenêts came from here (when Geoffrey used to hunt in the surrounding countryside, he used to wear a sprig of broom (‘genêt’ in French) in his hat.
Discover :
The Cité Plantagenêt
The Cathedral: Saint-Julien
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| FAMOUS FIGURES IN THE HISTORY OF ENGLAND AND SARTHE |
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Geoffrey V the Handsome, known as Plantagenêt, (Le Mans 1113 - Château-du-Loir 1151). The Count of Maine and Anjou, on 7 June 1128, he married Matilda, the widow of the German Emperor and heir of the King of England, and conquered Normandy. He owes his name of “Plantagenêt” to his hunts in the countryside around Le Mans which was covered with broom (genets), the flower of which he used to wear in his hat.
Henri II King of England (Le Mans 1133 - Chinon 1189). Son of Geoffrey Plantagenêt, husband of Eleanor of Aquitaine and King of England (1154), he reigned over a territory, which, among other things, included Maine, Anjou, Normandy, Touraine and Aquitaine.
Berengaria of Navarre. Daughter of the King of Navarre, she married Richard the Lionheart, the King of England, in Cyprus (1191). She founded Épau Abbey, where she was buried on 23 December 1230.
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