Apocalypse Tapestries in the Chateau d'Angers

Many people visit the Chateau d'Angers just to see its famous tapestries. The Apocalypse Tapestries are the longest in the world. They stretch 104 metres in total. They are named Apocalypse because they document the cataclysmic Book of Revelation. They have a history almost as epic as their subject matter.

History of the Apocalypse Tapestries - the Threads of Fate

The tapestries were commissioned by Louis I d'Anjou (1339 - 1384). They were woven by Nicolas Bataille and Robert Poincon between 1375 and 1382. The designs were based on those of the King's painter, Hennequin de Bruges. The original completed work comprised of 105 panels. Today only 70 remain. Its length was roughly 168 metres in total.

Many Pannels Were Lost

Reasons panels being lost are numerous and speculative. They first hung in the chateau and then in Angers Cathedral, for several hundred years. Around 1770, French society had a period of growing alienation from historical monuments. It was decided around then that the tapestries should be removed from the nave. The reason given for this was, they muffled the sounds of religious chanting in the cathedral.

The French Revolution Finds a Use for the Tapestries

During the French Revolution much religious art was destroyed. The Apolcalypse Tapestries, which were woven from wool, were used to shelter orange groves from the winter frosts. This might sound harsh but it could have been worse. Had they contained gold, they would have been burned to extract the precious metal.

Saved From Destruction

In 1806 the tapestries were returned to the administration of the bishopric. Some pannels were then used to cover holes in the cathedral walls. Others were employed as bedside rugs and to wrap horse harnesses in a stable. Ripped, torn and battered by the elements, they were finally put up for sale in 1843.

They were bought by the bishop of Angers for 500 francs. A small, devoted team was immediately set to work restoring them, and soon they resembled their medieval heyday, in which they were, to quote a 15th-century writer, "the greatest and most notable of all the tapestries in this realm." In 1952 they were moved to a gallery in their original home, the Chateau d'Angers.

Nightmarish Visions - Detail of Some of the Contents

Despite missing around a third of their panels, the tapestries are still a marvel to behold. They are now housed in a series of dimly lit rooms for the sake of preservation. Within this atmospere their nightmarish scenes in vivid reds, blues and gold are made all the more striking.

One panel shows Babylon being ravaged by demons.
Another shows Satan, in the form of a red dragon, being impaled by the spears of angels.
Yet another shows a seven-headed beast being hacked to pieces by "the servants of God".
The final panel shows the arrival of a New Jerusalem, walled in lustrous gold, and Satan buried for a thousand years.