Château de Machecoul

Machecoul

Built in the 13th century on the remains of an 11th-century fortress, this castle with five round towers was the residence of Gilles de Rais, comrade-in-arms of Joan of Arc who became infamous: it was within its walls that he was arrested in 1440, the beginning of the trial that led him to the scaffold. The fortress then passed to the Gondi family, who occupied it until the end of the 17th century, before being burned in 1792 during the Wars of the Vendée, sold to the commune in 1804 and stripped for its stone. All that survives today are ruins — walls of the keep and stretches of curtain wall — on private property registered as a historic monument in 2004. The seven-hectare park around it, with its Garden of Europe, can be visited freely, while the interior is discovered on guided tours on summer Wednesdays or by reservation for groups.

Getting there : Seven-hectare park freely accessible; guided tours of the castle on Wednesdays from July to September or by reservation for groups

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound