Logo Musée du Patrimoine

All French heritage classified by regions, departments and cities

Château Saint-Clair de Derval en Loire-Atlantique

Patrimoine classé
Patrimoine défensif
Demeure seigneuriale
Château fort

Château Saint-Clair de Derval

    D44
    44590 Derval
Private property; property of the municipality
Château Saint-Clair de Derval
Château Saint-Clair de Derval
Château Saint-Clair de Derval
Château Saint-Clair de Derval
Château Saint-Clair de Derval
Château Saint-Clair de Derval
Château Saint-Clair de Derval
Château Saint-Clair de Derval
Château Saint-Clair de Derval
Château Saint-Clair de Derval
Château Saint-Clair de Derval
Château Saint-Clair de Derval
Château Saint-Clair de Derval
Château Saint-Clair de Derval
Château Saint-Clair de Derval
Château Saint-Clair de Derval
Château Saint-Clair de Derval
Château Saint-Clair de Derval
Château Saint-Clair de Derval
Crédit photo : Pymouss44 - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Bas Moyen Âge
Renaissance
Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1400
1500
1600
1700
1800
1900
2000
1373
Seated by Bertrand du Guesclin
1380
End of English occupation
XVIe siècle (fin)
Destruction of the castle
fin XVIe siècle
Destruction of the castle
16 juillet 1925
Partial classification of the tower
novembre 2021
Extended site protection
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

The ground of the plot and all the remains, in whole, belonging to the castle, i.e. the built and unbuilt parts as delimited by a red line on the plan annexed to the decree and appearing in the cadastre section ZK on plots Nos.67, 68 and 69: inscription by order of 4 November 2021

Key figures

Robert Knolles - English knight Holds the castle from 1373 to 1380.
Bertrand du Guesclin - Connétable de France Seated the castle in 1373.
Jean de Montfort - Duke of Brittany Trust the castle in Knolles.
Jean de Malestroit - Owner in the 15th century Member of Derval's family.
Pierre Le Baud - Breton columnist Author of a miniature of the castle.
Hélène de Laval - Wife of Jean de Malestroit Owner of the castle in the 15th century.

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.

External links