Online Encyclopedia

Search over 40,000 articles from the original, classic Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition.

SAUMUR

Online Encyclopedia
Originally appearing in Volume V24, Page 237 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
» Make a correction to this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Spread the word: del.icio.us del.icio.us it!

SAUMUR , a See also:

town of western See also:France, See also:capital of an See also:arrondissement in the See also:department of See also:Maine-et-See also:Loire, 28 m. S.E. of See also:Angers on the railway to See also:Tours. Pop. (1906) 14,747. Saumur is well situated on the See also:left See also:bank of the Loire, which here receives the Thouet, and on an See also:island in the See also:river. A large See also:metal See also:bridge connects the Tours-Angers railway with that of See also:Montreuil-Bellay, by which Saumur communicates with See also:Poitiers and See also:Niort. Two See also:stone See also:bridges (764 and 905 ft. See also:long) unite the town on the island with the two See also:banks of the river. Several of the Saumur churches are interesting. St See also:Pierre, of the 12th See also:century, has a 17th-century See also:facade and a See also:Renaissance See also:nave; and Notre-See also:Dame of Nantilly, often visited by See also:Louis XI., who rebuilt portions of it, has a remarkable though greatly damaged facade, a See also:doorway and See also:choir of the 12th century, and a nave of the 11th. Both these churches contain curious tapestries, and in the latter, fixed in the See also:wall, is the See also:copper See also:cross of Gilles de See also:Tyr, keeper of the See also:seals to St Louis. St See also:Jean is a small See also:building in the purest See also:Gothic See also:style of See also:Anjou. St See also:Nicolas-du-Chardonnet, in the Gothic style of the 12th century, has a See also:fine See also:modern See also:spire.

Notre-Dame of Ardilliers, of the 16th century, was enlarged in the following century by See also:

Richelieu and Madame de See also:Montespan. The hotel de See also:vine, containing a mnseum and library, is an elegant 16th century edifice; and the whole town is See also:rich in examples of the domestic See also:architecture of the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries. The See also:house known as the Maison de la Reine Cecile (15th century) was built by Rene, See also:duke of Anjou. The See also:castle, built between the 11th century and the 13th, and remodelled in the 16th, is used as an See also:arsenal and See also:powder See also:magazine. There is also an interesting See also:alms-house, with its See also:chambers in See also:part dug out in the See also:rock. The famous See also:cavalry school of Saumur was founded in 1768 and is used for the See also:special training of See also:young See also:officers appointed to cavalry regiments on leaving the See also:cadet school of St Cyr. Other public institutions are the sub-prefecture, tribunals of first instance and of See also:commerce, a chamber of commerce, a See also:branch of the Bank of France, colleges for both sexes and a horticultural See also:garden, with a school of vines. Saumur prepares and carries on a large See also:trade in the sparkling See also:white wines grown in • the neighbourhood, as well as in See also:brandy, See also:grain, See also:flax and See also:hemp; and it manufactures enamels and rosaries and carries on liqueur-distilling. The Saumur caves along the Loire and on both sides of the valley of the Thouet must have been occupied at a very remote See also:period. The Tour du Tronc (9th century), the old stronghold of Saumur, served as a See also:place of See also:refuge for the inhabitants of the surrounding See also:district during See also:foreign invasions (whence perhaps the name Saumur, from Salons Murus) and became the See also:nucleus of a monastery built by monks from St Florent le Vieil. On the same site See also:rose the castle of Saumur two See also:hundred years later. The town See also:fell into the hands of Foulques Nerra, duke of Anjou, in 1025, and passed in the 13th century into the See also:possession of the See also:kings of France.

The See also:

English failed to See also:capture it during the Hundred Years' See also:War. After the See also:Reformation the town became the See also:metropolis of Protestantism in France and the seat of a theological See also:seminary. The school of Saumur, as opposed to that of See also:Sedan, represented the more liberal See also:side of See also:French Protestantism (See also:Cameron, See also:Amyraut, &c.). In 1623 the fortifications were dismantled; and the revocation of the See also:edict of See also:Nantes reduced the See also:population by more than one See also:half. In See also:June 1793, the town was occupied by the Vendeans, against whom it soon afterwards became a See also:base of operations for the republican See also:army.

End of Article: SAUMUR

Additional information and Comments

There are no comments yet for this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Please link directly to this article:
Highlight the code below, right click, and select "copy." Then paste it into your website, email, or other HTML.
Site content, images, and layout Copyright © 2006 - Net Industries, worldwide.
Do not copy, download, transfer, or otherwise replicate the site content in whole or in part.

Links to articles and home page are always encouraged.

[back]
SAUMAREZ, JAMES SAUMAREZ 		[next]
SAUNDERSON, EDWARD JAMES (1837-1906)

Site © 2006 - Net Industries