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Origin and history

The ramparts of Montfort-sur-Meu, built between 1440 and 1480, girded the village to defend it. They were pierced by three doors (Saint John, Coulon or White Gate, and Saint-Nicolas) and reinforced by six towers (including the tower of the Pas d'Âne, the Captain, and the dungeon of the Papegault). These fortifications reflected the strategic importance of the city in the late Middle Ages, at the crossroads of the Meu and Garun rivers. The Saint-Nicolas Gate, dating from 1380 and equipped with a belfry, was destroyed in 1897 for urban reasons, marking the gradual disappearance of historical accesses.

The tower of the Papegault, the most preserved element, was allegedly initiated by Raoul VIII at the end of the 14th century and completed in the 15th century. It was transformed into a departmental prison in 1819, with prison facilities (walls, ancillary buildings) altering its medieval appearance. After its acquisition by the city in 1979, restorations in the 1980s-1990s made it possible to enhance this heritage. The remains of the ramparts, inscribed in the Historical Monuments since 1926, also include traces of the castle access to the castle, now missing.

The ramparts illustrated a defensive architecture adapted to the conflicts of the late Middle Ages, with watchtowers and doors controlling commercial axes. Their decline began in the Revolution, when the castle was declared national. The current remains, located along the Meu and Garun, recall the original enclosure, while the Papegault Tower, symbol of seigneurial power, still dominates the urban landscape. The double registration (departmental and private parties) in 1926 underscores their shared heritage value.

Located 2 Rue du Château and along the moat, the remains of the ramparts extend near the gardens of the Priory Saint-Nicolas and the parking lot of the rue des Douves. Their present state, fragmentary, allows however to imagine the complete enclosure that protected the city, integrating streams and relief to strengthen its defence. The Beurrous tower, the tower of Gitté (at the confluence), and the base of the tower of the Pas d'Ane are among the few visible traces of this complex defensive system.

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