The castle of Cinq-Mars, not far from Langeais, with its 13th century towers, moats and fortifications, is a classical feudal castle. Its most famous character is Henri Ruzze d’Effiat, Marquis of Cinq-Mars, favourite of Louis XIII, who was beheaded for treason at the age of 22. His tragic end inspired Alfred de Vigny’s novel, “Cinq Mars”.
Le château de Cinq-Mars, non loin de Langeais, avec ses tours du XIIIe, ses douves et ses fortifications, est le type classique du château féodal. Son personnage le plus illustre est Henri Ruzze d’Effiat, Marquis de Cinq-Mars,favori de Louis XIII, qui fut décapité pour crilme de haute trahison à l’âge de 22 ans. Sa fin tragique a inspiré le roman Cinq Mars d’Alfred de Vigny.
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8 replies on “Cinq-Mars Castle – Le château de Cinq-Mars”
Evocative and beautifully photographed!
Thank you William.
Could that damage on the tower wall be from a ‘boulder’ attack or is just a sign of fair wear and tear? Poor young Henri, must have picked the wrong side.
I’m afraid I can’t answer the question about the boulder attack though the very chatty present owner probably could! Yes, Henri was held up as an example by Richelieu, it seems, despite his mother’s petition to have him saved.
Very interesting. The original “twin towers”?
Yes, well …
I always thought Alfred de Vigny was a poet. I didn’t realise he wrote novels as well. There is a statue of him in Loches, despite the fact that although he was born there, he left as a baby and never returned. We used to use a quote from him as our strapline for Days on the Claise.
I only recently found out that Cinq-Mars is pronounced locally as ‘saint-mar’.
He is mainly known for his poetry but was also a write of prose, plays and novels. Cinq-Mars apparently contributed to the development of the French historical novel. I haven”t read it myself.