Château de Ranrouët

Herbignac

A motte-and-bailey castle raised in the early 12th century by the lords of Assérac, the fortress was rebuilt in stone in the 13th century with six towers, then strengthened by Guy de Rochefort in the 14th century during the War of the Breton Succession. Jean IV de Rieux, Marshal of Brittany, transformed it in the Renaissance, with funds from Anne of Brittany, into a lordly residence with an Italian-style staircase, then extremely rare in France. Twelve triangular bastions further fortified it during the Wars of Religion, before Louis XIII ordered its dismantling in 1618, carried out the following year. Plundered and stripped for its stone after the Revolution, the site, listed as a historic monument since 1925, can now be visited from April to October, with family activities during the school holidays.

Getting there : Admission charge, open from April to October, family activities during the school holidays

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

Ambient sound