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A little history of Pontcallec castle

The castle | Lanzonnet / CC-BY-SA
Castle Marquis de Pontcallec Pontcallec castle

This castle was famous marquis de Pontcallec’s headquarters, during his renowned conspiracy!

It looked like a real impregnable fortress. An armourer lived here, making bayonets, stocking cartridges and powder!

To the East, a vast pond, and to the West, the sinuous river Scorff. And surrounding the stronghold, a huge and dark forest…

In the 16th century, the place belonged to Malestroit family: Anne de Malestroit married René Papin, lord de La Tévinière.

Their daughter Marie married Charles de Guer in 1598. King of France Louis XIV raised the land of Pontcallec to a marquisate for their son Alain de Guer, in 1657.

And Alain was… our famous marquis de Pontcallec’s grand-dad!

Protestants besieged the fortress in 1591, then Catholics troops seized it 3 years later.

Famous marquis de Pontcallec (the plotter!) was born in the castle.

After his arrest and his sentence to death, the estate was seized between 1720 and 1810, and a big fire completely destroyed it in 1796.

Then, the castle fell to the Cossé-Brissac in the 19th century: they entirely re-raised it in 1882.

Today, Pontcallec houses a religious community: the Dominicaines du Saint-Esprit nuns.

So, we can’t visit it, only make a stroll in the surrounding woods and in the park, in summer.

About the the author

Vinaigrette
I'm fond of strolls and History, with juicy and spicy details!