Angers

Angers (anc. Andecavia, Andes, or Juliomagus), a very ancient city of France, 160 miles S.W. of Paris, on the river Maine, which divides it into two. Formerly the capital of Anjou and now of the department of Maine-et-Loire, Angers was an important place in Roman times, possessing an amphitheatre, the ruins of which still exist. It is the seat of a bishopric, and before the Revolution had a famous university and also a military school. where the Earl of Chatham and the Duke of Wellington were students. The cathedral, dedicated to St. Maurice, dates from 1225. There are slate quarries in the neighbourhood which employ over 3,000 men, and camlets, serges, hats, and leather goods are among the staple manufactures. A large trade is done in corn, wine, and agricultural products. David, the sculptor, was born here.