Château des Ducs de Bretagne

The Château des Ducs de Bretagne (Castle of the Dukes of Brittany), the ducal resistance against the royal power. The Château des Ducs de Bretagne with its great white stone fronts, stands with pride in the medieval neighbourhood of Nantes. A first castle was built in the 13th century. This castle was replaced in the 15th century, under the aegis of Francois II Duke of Brittany, by the castle we can see today.

It was originally destined to house the dukes and to a military purpose against the royal forces because bear in mind that at that time, Brittany was still independant. Afterwards, Francois I made it the royal residence in Brittany. The Chateau des Ducs de Bretagne, after having been the residence of dukes and kings, turned into a prison and a barracks along the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.

The castle was listed as a French historical monument in 1840. In the early 20th century, the city of Nantes bought it to the State and installed there the city museum. Today, the Cheteau des Ducs de Bretagne, amazingly restored, gives the public access to the entire ducal residence as well as the exhibition rooms in the Harnachement building. Moats have been dug to receive grandiose gardens, a tour of the battlements is organized and finally, the centrepiece is the City of Nantes museum, spread over 32 rooms, which offers a tour of the city, through its history, its present and its projects. Photo credit: Jibi44, licence CC-BY-SA-3.0