Castle of Chinon

Chateau de Chinon is a castle located on the bank of the Vienne river. It was founded by Theobald I, Count of Blois. In the 11th century the castle became the property of the counts of Anjou. In 1156 Henry II of England, a member of the House of Anjou, took the castle from his brother Geoffrey after he had rebelled for a second time. Henry favoured the Chateau de Chinon as a residence: most of the standing structure can be attributed to his reign and he died there in 1189.
The castle, which contains a museum, is now owned and managed by the Indre-et-Loire General Council and is a major tourist attraction. In the early 21st century it was restored at a cost of 14.5 million euros.