The marriage between the pious Louis VII of France and the ebullient Eleanor of Aquitaine was doomed from the start, and it saw its end in the Second Crusade to Jerusalem. Almost immediately upon their return an "amicable" separation was decided. The reason stated was the birth of no male child, but the real causes were many, including Eleanor's love of music and great musicians. Her grandfather had been Europe's first great troubadour (I say "the world's first Elvis Presley", not out of line exactly since Presley is an old French name, too). In any case, Eleanor divorced the king of France and married almost immediately the Henri Plantagenêt, the Count of Anjou and soon-to-be Duke of Normandy and King of England. This union dealt a great blow to France and meant that this castle was now effectively a part of England. Eleanor and Henri would have many children, the most famous of whom was Richard Plantagenêt -- known to us as Richard the Lion-Hearted. Richard was always most at home in the land of his mother and nothing was more that than this wonderful part of old Aquitaine. The castle we know today is largely the personal work of Richard Lion-Heart, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Normandie, and King of England. Here we all sit at a table where Richard likely dined many times.
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This page last updated on 6/5/2003 7:07:03 PM.