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Origin and history

The Château de la Motte-Glain, located in La Chapelle-Glain in Loire-Atlantique (Pays de la Loire), is a rare example of a transition between medieval architecture and the Renaissance. Built at the end of the 15th century on the remains of a fortress of the sires of Rougé, it was rebuilt by Pierre de Rohan-Gié, Marshal of Gié, from the 1480s. The site, on the border between the Duchy of Brittany and Anjou, embodies the reconstructions of the Marches de Bretagne, alongside the castles of Ancenis and Châteaubriant. Its style mixes local schist, angelian tuffeau and late Gothic decorations, such as the scallop shells adorning the dormant windows.

The castle remains unfinished at the death of Pierre de Rohan-Gié around 1500: the north-west stairway tower is truncated, and the attic remains inaccessible. Despite this, in 1497 he welcomed Charles VIII and Anne of Brittany, then Charles IX in 1565. Passed into the hands of the Le Lou in 1635, he suffered damage during the Fronde (1652), before being preserved during the Revolution thanks to the non-migration of his owners. The Robineau de Rochequairie, then the Charette and Robert de Lezardière (since 1979), undertook major restorations, including the chapel (1980-1984) and the chestnut (2015-2017).

The building preserves defensive elements (butchered cannons, traces of drawbridge) and remarkable domestic spaces, such as the old house of the 15th century or the great Logis Rohan, decorated with jacquarian motifs. The simple castral chapel houses a 16th century wall painting representing a crucifixion. The communes ( stables, farms) and an outdoor orangery complete the whole. Ranked a historic monument in 1926 and 1929, the castle is now open to the public in summer and rented for cultural events.

The materials, typical of the region, include the local shale (carriers identified in 2008), the snorkel of Anjou, and terracotta tiles. The archives burned in 1793 and the lootings of 1815 erased part of its history, but archaeological excavations (since the 1990s) allowed to locate old structures, such as the hypothetical castral mound or shale quarries. The site also illustrates the border issues of the Marches de Bretagne, an area of tension between the Dukes of Brittany and the kings of France.

Among the notable anecdotes, the King's chamber owes its name to the stays of Charles VIII (1497) and Charles IX (1565). The first royal visit took place in a house still under construction, where the windows were blocked with straw boots. In the 19th century, the Robineau de Rochequairie installed furniture with family arms. The castle also inspired the artist Aymar de Lezardière, who made engravings of it, and served as a decor for the film La Révolte des enfants (1992).

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