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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The castle of the Dukes of Brittany, located in Nantes, is an emblematic monument built mainly in the 15th century, although it incorporates elements dating from the 14th to the 18th century. Originally ducal fortress under Francis II, it became a royal residence after the union of Brittany with France in 1532, then a state fortress after the Revolution. Ranked a historic monument in 1840, it was ceded to the city of Nantes in 1915 and now houses the Nantes History Museum, after a vast restoration campaign at the beginning of the 21st century.

Founded in the 13th century by Guy de Thouars as a defensive base, the castle was profoundly redesigned by Francis II in the 15th century to make it a majestic ducal residence, reflecting the power and independence of Brittany. His daughter, Anne of Brittany, forced to marry two successive kings of France (Charles VIII and Louis XII), brought there Renaissance beautifications, like loggias inspired by Italy. The castle is the scene of significant events, including the siege of 1487 by Charles VIII and the signing of the edict of union of Brittany with France in 1532 by François I.

Over the centuries, the castle alternates between military, prison and residential functions. Under the Old Regime, he served as a state prison for figures such as the Cardinal of Retz or Spanish prisoners. The explosion of its powder box in 1800 destroyed some of the buildings, including the Spanish tower. In the 19th century, its heritage interest was recognized: classified as one of the first historical monuments by Prosper Mérimée in 1840, it was partially restored. The city of Nantes became its owner in 1915 and established a museum there in 1924.

The Second World War marked a turning point: the castle, commissioned by the German army, housed a bunker and served as a command post. After the Liberation, he returned to his museum vocation, with a complete overhaul between 1990 and 2007. The Nantes Museum of History, inaugurated in 2007, presents 32 rooms dedicated to local history, from antiquity to the present day, including sections on the slave trade and world wars. The castle, completely restored, is today the most visited tourist site in Nantes.

The architecture of the castle combines medieval defensive elements (courtesy, low towers adapted to artillery) and tufted residential houses, typical of the Renaissance. The tower of the Golden Crown, with its gothic-renaissant loggias, and the Grand Logis, adorned with flamboyant skylights, bear witness to this duality. The moat, once fed by an arm of the Loire today filled, and the fully accessible round road offer an immersive experience for visitors. The castle thus embodies eight centuries of history, mixing dual power, royal heritage and urban memory.

Symbol of the Breton and Nantes identity, the castle is also a place of historical debates, such as the reunification of the Loire-Atlantique to the Brittany region. Its current name, popularized by writer Marc Elder in 1923, replaces the former name "Château de Nantes", highlighting its link with the Dukes of Brittany. Today, it hosts temporary exhibitions, cultural events and more than one million annual visitors, confirming its status as a must-see monument of French heritage.

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