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The Château de Montsoreau is a castle constructed in 1455 by Jean de Chambes, a senior councillor to King Charles VII. Erected on the bank of the Loire river, it was a strategic fortress, controlling river traffic between Chinon and Saumur. In fact the castle of Montsoreau has an exceptional position at the confluence of two rivers, the Loire and the Vienne, and at the meeting point of three historic regions: Anjou, Poitou and Touraine. Unlike other castles by the Loire, Montsoreau was directly built in the river.
By the end of the 19th century, the castle was abandoned and in near ruins. Today, having undergone extensive renovation, it is owned by the département and houses the Musée des Goums Marocains. In the 20th century the castle became a museum during 50 years.
The Château de Montsoreau has been listed as a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture since 1862. However, the photos from the French Cultural Ministry show it to be in significant disrepair with broken doors and windows and untended grounds. Visitors to the castle can see a show with music and light and depicting activity in the river and the landscapes of the Loire, and the legend of its Dame de Montsoreau.
Alexandre Dumas's novel La Dame de Monsoreau is based upon the amorous escapades of two ladies who occupied the castle during the reign of King Henri III.
References:Visby Cathedral (also known as St. Mary’s Church) is the only survived medieval church in Visby. It was originally built for German merchants and inaugurated in 1225. Around the year 1350 the church was enlarged and converted into a basilica. The two-storey magazine was also added then above the nave as a warehouse for merchants.
Following the Reformation, the church was transformed into a parish church for the town of Visby. All other churches were abandoned. Shortly after the Reformation, in 1572, Gotland was made into its own Diocese, and the church designated its cathedral.
There is not much left of the original interior. The font is made of local red marble in the 13th century. The pulpit was made in Lübeck in 1684. There are 400 graves under the church floor.