The Angers reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Jul-2004
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Angers

Helping orphans the way you would do it
Angers is a city in France in the département of Maine-et-Loire, the capital of the former Anjou province.

An industrialized city of approximately 150,000 people (around 250,000 with the metropolitan area) located on the Maine, it is a fresh-food and flower-market center. The city traces its roots to early Roman times. The site of a massive and ancient Chateau, the city is also noted for the impressive twin-spired, 12th-century Cathedral of Saint-Maurice.

A center of learning, Angers boasts two renowned universities and several high schools, adding up to more than 30,000 students. Its education and research institutes are the driving force behind the city's science and technology industries. Angers calls itself the most flowered city in Europe. It is also well-known for being the seat of important cultural events, like the film festival Premiers Plans, Tour de Scènes (free concerts in the streets) or Les Accroche-Coeurs.

History

The first sign of human presence on the site of Angers is a stone tool dated back to 400,000 B.C (Lower Paleolithic). The earliest known inhabitants were the Andecavi, a Gallic tribe that was overrun by the Romans. Once the capital of the historic province of Anjou, beginning in the 9th century, the city and the region was run by a powerful family of feudal lords. In the 12th century, it became part of the Angevin empire of the Plantagenet Kings of England. During this time, the Hospital of Saint-Jean was built in Angers by King Henry II of England. The edifice still stands to this day and houses an important museum. In 1204, it was conquered by King Philippe II.
Image:Ville_d'Angers.jpg

The city is the birthplace of:

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