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DAMM The combined management of the local museums.

The museums in Baugé, Beaufort en Vallée and Parçay Les Pins have joined together and have been working as a network since 2001 as a part of the Syndicat Intercommunal à Vocation Unique .

Being places of memory and emotion, these museums are full of life and open to modern creation.

Being places of knowledge and education, they aim to bring the public closer to the collections.

The Museum of History and Art in Baugé

Come and discover a magnificent range of collections in a XVth century chateau, including ceramics, arms, money, folk art and tradition, fine art...etc. Have a guided tour of a place full of historical, precious and amazing artefacts.
The museum was founded in 1905 by the local council, it exhibits various collections gathered throughout the XIXth century. You can see a beautiful collection of ceramics dating back to the XVth and XVIth century. Some of the earlier pieces are similar to those from the apothecary kept in Baugé since 1720. From the very first fire-arms to rifles, shotguns, swords and sabres the arms exhibition will please enthusiasts and amateurs alike. A cabinet full of curious objects brings together local and foreign archeological findings and an unbelievable fossile of the head of an extinct race of cow, the only specimen of its kind in France. The money collection is just as amazing, going as far back as the XIth century.

The museum is inside a XVth century chateau, a part of the French National Trust (Classé Monument Historique ), it is considered to be one of the most beautiful of the end of the Gothic era. Inside the castle, you can follow a trail that helps you to retrace the life of its builder, the king René of Anjou and the way of life in Anjou in the XVth century.
The town has a fantastic heritage that is reflected in the many beautiful buildings to be found there, like the Vraie Croix d'Anjou , a real treasure, built in the XIIIth century. The Baugé area played a big part in the Hundred Year War, but is now a place where pleasure, nature and culture live together in harmony.

The Joseph Denais Museum in Beaufort en Vallée

Découvrez un des derniers cabinets de curiosités du XIX è siècle dans son cadre d'origine : sculptures, peintures, arts décoratifs, histoire, archéologie, sciences naturelles, etc. Voyage dans un univers insolite et passionnant.
Le musée de Beaufort-en-Vallée est empreint de la personnalité de son fondateur : Joseph Denais (1851-1916). Très attaché à sa ville natale, il rassemble une importante collection archéologique locale (1875) puis il reçoit les dons d'artistes contemporains, d'archéologues et de collectionneurs célèbres. C'est ainsi que se constituent les sections de Préhistoire, d'antiquité égyptienne, grecque et romaine, des Beaux-arts et d'arts décoratifs, d'ethnographie et de sciences naturelles. Le musée de Beaufort présente au public un concentré de l'idée du musée au XIXe s : replaçant l'histoire locale dans une histoire universelle, comme une vaste encyclopédie où chaque objet est une citation d'une période et d'une géographie.

Autre originalité du lieu, ces collections sont présentées dans un palais à l'italienne conçu en 1898 pour les recevoir. Vous apprécierez cette belle ville, à mi-chemin entre Angers et Saumur, ses quartiers anciens aux monuments imposants et la richesse de sa vie culturelle.

Le musée Joseph-Denais de Beaufort-en-Vallée entame sa rénovation. Il ne sera donc pas ouvert à la visite cette saison, sa réouverture est prévue en 2010.

 

 

 

 

 

Parc du Château de Lathan

Officially classed as an historic building, the Parc du Château du Lathan has 133 acres of grounds and is built in two parts : the first one dates back to the XVIIth century, in Le Notre style and represents classical French gardens. Nature is controlled and disciplined, the open spaces are split by long, open perspectives. The second part, in a romantic style,dates back to the XVIIIth century and is in complete contrast with the classical part. The paths are no longer long, straight lines but curved, nature is free and wild.

This place gets its uniqueness from its magnificent underground tunnels, 110 metres in all, the only ones like it in Europe . They refer to Melle de Scudéry's “ Carte du tendre” (= the map belonging to the loved one) . The underground tunnels symbolise a passionate quest for love, There are 38 cellar windows that light the way for the visitor and stand for the villages on the map. When you exit the tunnel, it is the end of the visit, and you will discover the Island of Love and the Temple of Venus , surrounded by poplar trees reaching towards the sky.

During the visit you will also discover the Trianon with its green cloister, the Rabbit Shoot ( a pretty turret, don't be put off by the name!), water features like La Poele , the Mirror or the Canal 500 metres long.

The Parc du Chateau du Lathan is open to the public every day except Tuesdays, from 10am to 6pm , from 1 st April to the 2 nd November.

 

AECFM : The old-fashioned train at Rillé

How about a ride on an old fashioned train? This train enables you to rediscover all the charm of the railways of yesteryear in our region. Wagons and locomotives of another era have been restored by a group of train-loving volunteers.

The railway line winds around the lake at Rillé and goes through the woods. Next to the station you will find a car-park, a picnic area, a children's playground, a sandy beach leading to the lake, a camp-site and a hotel/restaurant.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Bird Protection League.

The lake at Rillé, 494 acres, is a recent creation (1977) and was designed to feed the Val d'Authion region with water for irrigtion.
The lake at Rillé is considered to be one of the most interesting artificial lakes of the Centre-Ouest part of France, especially for its migrating birds. Nearly 250 species can be observed on the lake and its srroundings.

In Winter the lake is at its fullest and is home to many ducks, geese and herons. In Spring, the floating aquatic plants allow birds to nest in them, including some rare species. In Summer, you can observe the young birds feeding and as the lake gets lower you will be able to see birds who prefer the mud to the water, like the snipe ( la bécassine) . The southern part of the lake is surrouned by willows that allow ducks and herons to nest. This quiet area is naturally protected from any inconveniences from the neighbouring forest.

To make the most of this beautiful site and to keep birds coming back, please refrain from leaving the roads and pathways, use the observtion posts provided by the L.P.O. or the raised land surrounding the lake that provide excellent look out points.

The Bird Protection League organizes regular outings on the lake, especially in Summer when weekly visits are arranged.
Other public outings are organized throughout the year, and extra activities can be arranged for groups.

 

Le Château de Gizeux

You will find the chateau of Gizeux on the boarder between Indre et Loire and Maine et Loire, it is the most significant chateau of the Touraine-angevine region. The same family has lived in it for the last 215 years, Géraud and Stéphanie Laffon will reveal to you a mystery kept secret for a long time.

The chateau belonged to the Du Bellay family for over 350 years and has an amazing hisory, inside the building you will find a most surprising XVIIth century painted gallery.
But more than just a remarkable piece of history and arcitecture, it's a place where passions converge.

Open to the public since 1993, you will find a variety of activities and shows here. For the last 5 years, a group of artists brings life to the place with its many artistic and dramatic summer courses, you will find more information about these on our website. The huge magnificent XVIIIth century buildings are home to horse stables that are still up and running, managed by our qualified instructor. So you will also be able to enjoy some horse-riding with either a single lesson in the grounds of the chateau or a horse-ride in the surrounding woods and villages.