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Chteau De Montreuil-bellayThe Chteau de Montreuil-Bellay, in the town of Montreuil-Bellay, dpartement of Maine-et-Loire, France, was first built on the site of a Gallo-Roman village high on a hill on the banks of the Thouet River. The property, consisting of more than 1,000 acres (4 km²), was acquired by a Bellay family member in 1025 but was seized by a Plantagenet during the second half of the 1100s. After the defeat of the English by King Philippe II, a Bellay descendant, Guillaume de Melun, had high, massive, walls constructed including 13 interlocking towers, with entry only via a fortified gateway. The huge fortress created a virtual walled city. In the 15th century the interior of the complex was modernized, including a new castle and church-seminary with several residences for canons. During the French Wars of Religion (1562‑1598) the town of Montreuil-Bellay was ransacked and burned but the sturdy fortress suffered little damage. Ownership of the castle changed several times including, through marriage, to the Coss-Brissac family. During the French Revolution the castle was seized by the revolutionary government and used as a prison for women suspected of being royalists. In 1822 the property was acquired by Saumur businessman Adrien Niveleau, who divided the huge property into rental units. In 1860 Niveleau’s daughter undertook occupancy and a major restoration campaign, redoing some of the rooms in the Troubadour style. Descendants of her husband’s nephew are the current owners of the property. Montreuil
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