Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Pontivy, also called Rohan Castle, was built in the 15th and 16th centuries by the family of Rohan to replace an ancient 12th century feudal castle, destroyed after sieges during the War of Succession of Brittany. John II of Rohan, Viscount and opponent of Duke Francis II, erected this fortress between 1456 and 1485 on a hilltop overlooking the city, combining military innovations (heavy walls, buried towers) and Renaissance elements like sill windows. The chapel became a Protestant temple in 1572 before returning to its Catholic vocation.

In the 18th century, the castle was partially renovated: the wing was transformed into an artillery terrace, and the north house adorned with a Louis XV staircase. Confiscated during the Revolution, it was bought by the Rohans before successively housing a sub-prefecture, a religious school, and a Breton museum. In 1940 he became the ephemeral seat of the Breton National Committee, which proclaimed an aborted declaration of independence. Damaged by abandonment in the early 20th century, it was restored between 1955 and 1972, and again after the collapse of a courtin in 2014.

Ranked a historic monument in 1925 and 1953, the castle is sold for a symbolic euro to the city of Pontivy in 2015 by Josselin de Rohan. Its four corner towers, granite machicoulis, and 16th century skylights illustrate its evolution between medieval fortress and aristocratic residence. Recent excavations have revealed medieval furnaces in the courtyard, while the rooms are now home to exhibitions about its turbulent history, attracting 70,000 annual visitors.

The architecture of the castle reflects the military transitions of the 15th to 16th centuries: the low and wide towers resist to the cannons, while the interior facades, revised in the 18th century, incorporate classical frontons and woodwork. The chapel, a place of Catholic worship then Protestant, preserves 16th century polychrome chimneys, transferred from the castle of Coët-Candec. The macles, the heraldic motifs of the Rohan, adorn the walls with reference to their coat of arms.

The castle, occupied by Polish troops in 1940 and then by Breton autonomists, embodies the political tensions of modern Brittany. Its restoration has made it possible to highlight defensive elements such as the 20-metre-high courtine, as well as residential spaces such as the ducal chamber or the guard room. The gardens and terraces, built in the 18th and 19th centuries, complement this testimony of Breton history, from medieval vicomtes to contemporary heritage issues.

Future

On Friday, February 7, 2014, as a result of heavy rainfall due to storm Petra, part of the southern courtyard collapsed. The castle being closed during the restoration operation launched in June 2016 and planned for a minimum duration of 3 years.

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