Angers

The 13th-century moated castle of Angers, in Anjou, western France. Anjou formed part of the so-called Angevin empire under the control of the Plantagenet king, Henry II. In the 1170s the territorial extent stretched from northern Britain southward through what is now western France to the Pyrenees.

Ancient French city and administrative centre of Maine-et-Loire département, situated on the River Maine just north of its conjunction with the Loire and just south of its conjunction with the Mayenne; population (1999) 151,300. Its main products include electrical machinery, wine, and Cointreau liqueur. It is a bishopric with a 12th–13th-century Gothic cathedral. The 12th–13th-century castle is a tourist attraction.

Angers was the capital of the former duchy and province of Anjou. It has a large theological college, a notable library, and a university. The River Maine is navigable at this point, and the city is the centre of a large agricultural area. There are slate quarries nearby, and the district has extensive wool, cotton, and metal industries.