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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

Josselin Castle came into being in the early 11th century when Guethénoc, Viscount of Porhoët, erected a first wooden fortress on a strategic site overlooking the Oust River. This place, at the crossroads of Roman ways and close to a Marian sanctuary (Notre-Dame du Roncier), becomes a major economic and religious pole in Brittany. The fortress was destroyed in 1168 by Henry II Plantagenet and rebuilt in stone at the end of the 12th century by Eudes II de Porhoët. In the 14th century, Olivier V de Clisson, connétable de France, made it an imposing citadel with dungeon, pregnant and nine towers, marking his opposition to the Duke of Brittany.

In the 15th century, the castle passed into the hands of Rohan's family through the marriage of Alain VIII with Beatrice de Clisson. His son, Alain IX, and then John II of Rohan transformed the fortress into a marina between 1490 and 1510, adding an exceptional Renaissance facade in carved granite, typical of the Louis XII style. This house, equipped with a ramp-on-rail staircase pioneer in France, symbolizes the transition between the flamboyant Gothic and the Renaissance. However, the 17th century religious conflicts led Richelieu to partially dismantle the castle in 1629, saving only the Renaissance building.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the castle, abandoned by Rohan living in the Court, served as a prison and deteriorated. A major restoration was undertaken in 1855 under the direction of Jules de La Morandière, pupil of Viollet-le-Duc, who restored the castle to its medieval and neo-Gothic aspect. The interiors are redesigned in the " Troubadour" style, and the gardens are redesigned in the 20th century by Achille Duchêne and Louis Benech. Today, the castle, still owned by the Rohans, houses art collections (portraits, furniture, porcelains) and remarkable gardens, open to the public.

The site preserves the remains of its different eras: the medieval towers on the Oust, the Renaissance facade on the courtyard side, and the 18th century "Tower Prison". Its history reflects the power struggles in Brittany (war of Succession, Franco-Breton conflicts), the influence of the Rohan, and the architectural evolutions, from feudal fortress to pleasure castle. Ranked a historic monument in 1928, it remains a major testimony of the Breton heritage.

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