Amboise
Dominating the left bank of the Loire, the Gauls had an oppida here
before the coming of Caesar, while the Emperor Maximian (d.310) is said
to have raised the walls. In the ninth century Viscount Ingeler
of Orleans (d.888) married Adelais Gatinais, sister of the 2 noble
bishops of Tours. She brought Amboise castle to him.
Earlier the castle (oppidum)
had helped stop the ravaging of the Vikings, even though it only had a
small garrison. The hilltop castle had been destroyed in this
fighting, but King Louis (d.879), at the request of the 2 priests of
Tours, had Ambroise refortified and handed over to Ingeler who was soon
made count of half of Angers. Ingeler installed Robert Fitz Haimo
at Amboise as he held part of the fortress by hereditary right.
Ingeler's son, Count Fulk (d.942), held castles at Amboise and
Villentrois, as well as inheriting Loches by marriage. He was also given the other part of Anjou by King Charles the Simple (d.929).
In the time of Count Maurice of Anjou (d.1012), Landric Chateaudun (Dunensis) attacked both Loches and Amboise. Maurice's father, Count Geoffrey (d.987), had granted Amboise to Landric as well as a fortified house in Chateauneuf (Novi Castri). Landric with the aid of Count Odo of Champagne and Blois (d.1037) marched through Tours and Langeais to besiege Valeia with the aid of Odo's vassal, Gelduin Saumur.
Amboise was defended by 2 brothers, Archenbaud Buscenschaicus and
Supplicius the Treasurer of St Martin, the latter having built a stone
fortress (arcem lapideam) in
Amboise. During the fighting Count Maurice died a natural death
as too did Archenbaud Buscenschaicus, leaving Supplicius sole possessor
of Amboise. At this point Fulk Nerra, the half brother of Count
Maurice, attacked Chateaudun
and took the castle before marching on Amboise and besieging
Landric. Amboise castle was then surrendered to Fulk on condition
of the garrison being allowed to go free. Fulk then campaigned
through Valeia and Semblancay (Semblenchiacum) which he secured, then visited the castle of his vassal, Hugh Alvia. Fulk then marched south and seized the castles of Mirebeau, Loudun and Chinon, which belonged to Count Odo and then Saumur and Montsoreau (Monsorellum). He then installed Lisois Basogerio, the nephew of the viscount of Sainte-Suzanne, in Loches and Amboise and married him to the daughter of Supplicius
Amboise remained to
the house of Anjou until they
were expelled from the district in 1214 by Philippe Augustus (d.1223),
which caused the lord of Amboise-Chaumont to change allegiance.
In 1434 the castle
was seized by the French Crown from Louis Amboise (d.1469). In
1492 King Charles VIII (d.1498) began extensively rebuilding the castle
and changing its form dramatically, employing Italian master masons for
the job.
Description
The castle was built on
a ridge end site dominating a crossing point of the Loire. The
whole structure forms a triangle at the end of an east to west running
spur with its point overlooking the modern bridge. The inner
courtyard is about 350' long by 250' wide at its greatest north to
south point. This inner ward has been extensively rebuilt and
expanded in the late fifteenth century, especially with 2 massive round
towers marking the junction with the outer bailey. Some of the
older towers seem fossilised amongst the massive later revetments.
The larger, rectangular, outer bailey lies to the east and maintains
more of its ancient visage, with a major ditch defending the east side
of the fortress, almost 600' long. Roughly central along this
front is the Porte des Lions, a much rebuilt early gatehouse with twin
rectangular towers and twin drawbridges for horse and foot passage.
The castle was home to Leonardo de Vinci and his tomb lies within the castle chapel.
Why not join me here and at other French castles?
Information on this and other tours can be found at Scholarly
Sojourns.
Copyright©2021
Paul Martin Remfry