Wednesday 2 December: Pascal Filatre gave me a tour of the historic sites of Angers, nearby countryside overlooking the Loire, and a construction site of a château he is converting into a special events facility for a small commune between Angers and Nantes. One highlight was the circa 1380 Tapestry of the Apocalypse on display at the Château de Angers, followed by a mid-20th century tapistry "Le Chant du monde"(Song of the world) by Jean Lurçat installed in the former Hôpital Saint-Jean, a building that served the sick from circa 1175 to 1865.

Angers Château
Angers Château -- monument historique classé -- and an inspiration to American architect Lou Kahn

Musée David
Gallerie David d'Angers



Gallerie David d'Angers
Gallerie David d'Angers

Tapestry of the Acopalypse
Tapestry of the Acopalypse, image from the museum website

Musée d'Art
Musée des Beaux-Arts, Angers. Another good example of contemporary additions to historic buildings. Here a glass entry vestibule is added to the facade.

Musée d'Art
The rear court of the Musée des Beaux Arts, Angers, includes skylights for spaces below. Attention: slick when wet!

Musée d'Art
Detail of skylights and walkways.

Gallerie David d'Angers
Sign in the Gallerie David d'Angers:
"In this museum...according to your preference.
muse, converse, [smoke], study,
[touch], [soil], look, [eat],
contemplate, discover, draw,
photograph, stroll