Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-12-25
Po|and's Fugitive
Capital Set Up in
Old French Town
Anglers Antedotes
Warsaw by
Six Centuries

The refugee Polish government,
recently set up at Anglers in North
west France, is 1000 miles-as the
bomber f1ies-from its former seat
at Warsaw. according to bulletin
from the National Geographic So
ciety. Situated near the junction
of the Loire and Maine Rivers, this
city is nearly 400 miles west of the
Franco-German frontier.
with a recorded history which
antedates that of Warsaw by some
six centuries. Anglers is one of
Frances traditional show places, 4"
the bulletin continues. Its 18th
century castle, built on founda-
ton of solid rock, is massive ex-
ample of architecture from the days
when a feudal lords home was his
fortress.
The II original towers of the
Anglers stronghold stand guard
along their great connecting wall
On all but the side facing the river
they surround a group of later
buildings, including a 15th-century
chapel now used as an arsenal. The
castles old rock-hewn moat, partly
filled in to make a modern boule-
ward, was 100 feet wide and So feet
deep.
18th Century Cathedral.
Although many of Anglers his
toric houses have given way to new
business structures and widened
streets, a few quaint wooden build
ings of the Middle Ages persist.
Such is the House of ADAM with
overhanging galleries and elaborate
ly carved woodwork. Especially in
teresting to student and historian
is the l2-century Gothic cathedral,
st. Maurice. with its slender spires
and pointed arches.
Among the city's other lures to
visitors are exhibits in the Museum
of Industrial Art and the Museum of
Religious Art-the latter formerly
the Bishops palace. 1t contains a
collection OF old tapestries, including
some of the famous Apocalypse de-
signs.
"As early as the Sd century
Anglers was the seat of a bishopric.
To the Romans this town was known
as Juliomagus. Later it became the
capital of the province of Anjou,
ruled by such powerful historic
figures as Robert the Strong and
Tulk the Black.
"At one time Anglers, along with
the rest of Anjou, came under the
English crown as a result of the
marriage of Matilda of England to
one of the descendants of the House
of Anjou. Like other leading medic
val cities, Anglers knew periodic
disaster through war and siege, fires
and plaques. Invaded by the Morse
men in the 9th century, it suffered
severely from English attacks in the
18th century, the religious wars of
the 10th century, and at the hands
of the French Royalists after the
revolution.
Extensive Slate Quarries.
To-day the capital of the French
department of Maine-et An
gers is thriving town of some IS 900
inhabitants. One aid to its prosper
ity is the location near by of extern
sive slate quarries. Other important
industries include the manufacture
of such varied products as shoes and
umbrellas, machines and thread,
wooden goods, rope and sailcloth.
Fruit liqueur, especially that made
from black-heart cherries grown in
the vicinity, is a popular Anglers
commodity in world markets.
while the celebrated 18th century
university of Anglers was discontin-
ued after the French revolution, this
provincial capital has a number of