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Origin and history

Château Saint-Clair de Derval, also known as the Saint-Clair Tower, is a former 14th century castle located 2.5 km north-north-east of the town of Derval, in the Loire-Atlantique. Its ruins, partially visible, include a 24-metre master tower, partially collapsed, as well as a network of moat and defensive enclosures. The site, used as a stone quarry until the 20th century, preserves traces of its quadrangular bassyard and terrassed works.

In 1373, the castle, then held by the English knight Robert Knolles on behalf of the Duke of Brittany Jean de Montfort, was besieged by Bertrand du Guesclin. Knolles retained the fortress until 1380. In the 15th century, the estate belonged to Derval's family, notably Jean de Malestroit and his wife Hélène de Laval. The first historical mention of the castle dates back to this siege of 1373, illustrated in a miniature of the Chronicles and Stories of the Bretons (late 15th century).

Destroyed at the end of the 16th century during the League Wars, the castle was described in 1789 by Ogée as a fortress flanked by nine towers, surrounded by ditches and a running water pond, protected by three successive bridges. The Saint-Clair Tower, the only vestige in elevation, was partially classified as historical monuments in 1925. In 2021, protection was extended to the entire site, including moat and buried remains.

The Chronicles of Pierre Le Baud and the accounts of Jean Froissart provide the oldest representations and mentions of the castle. Its architecture reflects its strategic defensive role during the War of Succession of Brittany, then the religious conflicts of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Recent excavations and protections aim to preserve this medieval heritage threatened by erosion and stone removal.

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