Château de Pornic

Pornic

A first wooden fortress is said to have been raised as early as 938 by Alan Barbetorte, the first Duke of Brittany, before being rebuilt in stone in the 12th century by the lords of Rais. Gilles de Rais, comrade-in-arms of Joan of Arc, owned it until its confiscation by Charles VII in 1422, and local legend has ended up associating the castle with Bluebeard's. Fallen into ruin, it was restored a first time from 1824 by Joseph Lebreton, then bought in 1886 by the Joubert-Bonnaire family, who entrusted the architect François Bougoüin with a restoration inspired by the château de Clisson, with round-arched windows and a conical roof on the great tower. Listed as a historic monument since 1986, it remains a private and inhabited property, visible from the quays of the old harbour; the tourist office organises night-time visits there in summer.

Getting there : Private, inhabited property, visible from outside and from the quays of the old harbour; night-time visits organised in summer by the tourist office

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

Ambient sound