The
Château de Largoët, also known as the
Tours d’Elven (Elven Towers), is a medieval castle in
ElvenElven is a French commune, located in the department of Morbihan and region of Brittany.-Geography:The village of Elven is located about 15 km from the Vannes-Rennes junction on route nationale 166 and is the capital of the canton of Elven which also includes Saint-Nolff, Monterblanc,...
, in the
MorbihanMorbihan is a department in the northwest of France named after the Morbihan , the enclosed sea that is the principal feature of the coastline.-History:...
département of
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
, 13 km from
VannesVannes is a commune in the Morbihan department in Bretagne in north-western France. It was founded over 2000 years ago.-Geography:Vannes is located on the Gulf of Morbihan at the mouth of the Vannes River. It is around 100 km northwest of Nantes and 300 km west of Paris...
.
A castle is mentioned for the first time in 1020, belonging to the baron of Elven, Derrien I, but the present building was constructed between the 13th and 15th centuries. The manor became the property of the Malestroit family in the 13th century.
The
Château de Largoët, also known as the
Tours d’Elven (Elven Towers), is a medieval castle in
ElvenElven is a French commune, located in the department of Morbihan and region of Brittany.-Geography:The village of Elven is located about 15 km from the Vannes-Rennes junction on route nationale 166 and is the capital of the canton of Elven which also includes Saint-Nolff, Monterblanc,...
, in the
MorbihanMorbihan is a department in the northwest of France named after the Morbihan , the enclosed sea that is the principal feature of the coastline.-History:...
département of
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
, 13 km from
VannesVannes is a commune in the Morbihan department in Bretagne in north-western France. It was founded over 2000 years ago.-Geography:Vannes is located on the Gulf of Morbihan at the mouth of the Vannes River. It is around 100 km northwest of Nantes and 300 km west of Paris...
.
History
A castle is mentioned for the first time in 1020, belonging to the baron of Elven, Derrien I, but the present building was constructed between the 13th and 15th centuries. The manor became the property of the Malestroit family in the 13th century. The houses of Blois and Montfort fought for it during the
Breton War of SuccessionThe Breton War of Succession was a conflict between the Houses of Blois and Montfort for control of the Duchy of Brittany. It was fought between 1341 and 1364. It formed an integral part of the early Hundred Years War due to the involvement of the French and English governments in the conflict; the...
, before it came to the Rieux family in the 15th century. It was during this period (between 1474 and 1476) that Jean IV, lord of Rieux, detained Henry Tudor, Duke of Richmond, future King
Henry VIIHenry VII was the King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the Tudor dynasty.Henry was successful in restoring the power and stability of the English monarchy after the political upheavals of the Wars...
of
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. In 1490,
Charles VIII of FranceCharles VIII, called the Affable, , was King of France from 1483 to his death. Charles was a member of the House of Valois...
, dismantled the castle, but it was restored under the influence of Anne de Bretagne.
Nicolas FouquetNicolas Fouquet, marquis de Belle-Île, vicomte de Melun et Vaux was the Superintendent of Finances in France under Louis XIV.-Biography:...
bought it in 1656 and, after his death, it was sold to Michel de Trémeurec and stayed in his family. In the 19th century, it was propsed to demolish Largoët, given its dilapidation, but it was saved thanks to
Prosper MériméeProsper Mérimée was a French dramatist, historian, archaeologist, and short story writer. He is perhaps best known for his novella Carmen, which became the basis of Bizet's opera Carmen.-Life:...
, who had it classed as a
monument historiqueMonument historique is a State procedure in France by which heritage protection is extended to a building or a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings or an entire neighborhood, or gardens, bridges, and other structures, because of their architectural and historical importance...
in 1862. Beginning in the 1970s, there has been a programme of restoration.
Architecture
The ruins of Largoët maintain their imposing aspect, notably because of the 14th century octagonal
keepA keep is a strong central tower which is used as a dungeon or a fortress. Often, the keep is the most defended area of a castle, and as such may form the main habitation area, or contain important stores such as the armoury, food, and the main water well, which would ensure survival during a...
. At 45 m, it is one of the highest in France (for comparison, the keep at the
Château de VincennesThe Château de Vincennes is a massive 14th and 17th century French royal castle in the town of Vincennes, to the east of Paris, now a suburb of the metropolis.-History:...
reaches 52 m). There are five floors and the walls are between 6 and 10 m thick. On the first floor is the room where Henry Tudor stayed.
As well as this colossal edifice, Largoët also boasts:
- A 15th century gatehouse
A gatehouse is a feature of European castles, manor houses and mansions. Originally a gatehouse was a fortified structure built over the gateway to a city or castle...
, marking the entrance to the fortress, built against another 13th century building.
- A round tower of three storeys, from the 15th century, with cannon openings on the first level, and covered with a hexagonal building. It was furnished in the 20th century as a hunting lodge. It has been used as a location for historical films, including Lancelot du Lac
Lancelot du Lac is 1974 film that was written and directed by Robert Bresson. It is based on Arthurian legend, and is told in a highly stylised manner. It relates the story of Lancelot and Guinevere's love, as Camelot and the Round Table fall apart...
and Chouans.
- The remains of the enclosing walls, dried up moats and a lake.
- The ruins of a construction known as an ice house (glacière), used as a food store.
- The entrance to a vast cellar which was used to store wood.
An underground mystery
An underground tunnel at one time provided an exit from the fortress, but its entrance has not been found. Works in the Lion d'Or inn, in the centre of Elven, could bring this to light.
External links