Knights crowned kings of a prestigious dynasty, a stylish court renowned throughout Europe and a vast empire stretching from Scotland to the Pyrenees are chapters in the Plantagenêt Saga!
learn how vital the Royal Fortress of Chinon was to these kings with interactive features, models and 3D reconstructions. Visit Elanor of Aquitaine’s bedchamber and feast your eyes on the opulent reconstructed furniture and paintings that give you a taste of everyday life for a queen in the 12th century.
In the 12th century, the bedroom of king Henry II of England and his spouse Eleanor of Aquitaine was in the now gone Saint George Fort palace.
The latter was composed of private rooms, like bedrooms (Camera) and a hall for public meetings (Aula). Its reconstitution can be seen in the Histopad and is well worth a visit!
The bedchamber, scientifically recreated, is made up of a bed and its rich textile embellishment, two seats, two chests and a table. The counterpane, recreated for the occasion, is inspired by a fragment of an authentic 11th-12th century fabric, preserved in Chinon's museum (Le Carroi).
Craftswomen and craftsmen, doctor of medieval archaeology and local and traditional textile producer have joined forces to make this reconstitution possible.
All those pieces of furniture were created as well as handmade by the cabinet-making Tancoigne, based on a study of Cécile Lagane - doctor of medieval archeology, specialized in medieval furniture and material equipment. The silk-decoration, stylized plants and animals, was accurately recreated and woven by the Roze silk workshop. This local and traditional textile producer, founded in 1470, specializes in the manufacture of silks for high-end furnishings.
