is a small city and
Commune in the
Maine-et-Loire ''
Département '' of
France on the
Loire River at , with an approximate population of 30,000
As Of 2001 .
The region is noted for its beautiful centuries-old homes and churches, fine wines, and
Mushroom caves. At the ''Musée du Champignon'' visitors can find out how mushrooms are grown underground. The city is also famous for its factory where carnivals masks are made—the ''Musee du Masque'' has waxwork figures wearing carnival masks with intricate and colorful costumes.
Beginning in the
12th Century , French peasants dug villages into the hillsides of the soft tuffeau stone along the Loire River, between Saumur and
Montsoreau . Known as
Troglodyte s, they built homes into the face of the cliffs and created hundreds of kilometers of underground passageways. During the
French Wars Of Religion ,
Huguenots used the
Troglodyte caves to hide. In recent years many of the troglodyte houses have been rebuilt and are open to visitors, while others have been restored and occupied.
The university of Saumur became the university of French
Protestant ism before the revocation of the
Edict Of Nantes .
The
Château De Saumur sits high on a spur of the tall cliff looking down on the Loire River at the mouth of the
Thouet River . Constructed as a fortified stronghold, after its destruction in
1067 the chateau was rebuilt by a member of the powerful
Plantagenet family. In the first part of the
20th Century , the city of Saumur acquired the chateau and began a restoration program to house the museum of the decorative arts. In line with the Saumur area's equestrian tradition and its famous
Cadre Noir , the chateau also serves as a Museum of the Horse.
Saumur has ancient ties to the military, going back to the
18th Century when the
Cavalry school was founded here; this school is now the school of armored cavalry. The ''
Musée Des Blindés '' is dedicated to the history of
Tank warfare and the ''Musée de la Cavalerie'' has cavalry history and depictions of battle scenes and old uniforms.
Saumur is home to the
Cadre Noir , the École Nationale d'Equitation (National School of Horsemanship), known for its annual horse shows, as well as the
Officer school for
Armor ed forces (
Tank s).
The is the name used to denote a distinctive form of
Reformed Theology taught by
Moses Amyraut at the
University Of Saumur in the
17th Century .
Saumur was the birthplace of:
- Anne Lefèvre ( 1654 - 1720 ), better known during her lifetime as Madame Dacier, Scholar and Translator of Classics
- Charles Ernest Beulé ( 1826 - 1874 ), Archeologist
- Coco Chanel ( 1883 - 1971 ), internationally renowned Fashion Designer
- Yves Robert , ( 1920 - 2002 ), actor, composer, director, writer, producer
- Fanny Ardant , (b. 1949 ), actress
- Dominique Pinon , (b. 1955 ), actor
Saumur is
Twinned with:
- ''Saumur'' is an Appelation For Wines produced in the Saumur region.
- ''Saumur'' is the title of a song from Hard Rock band Trust (whose lyrics express their poor opinion of the city: narrow-minded, bourgeois and militaristic).
