CHATEAU DE BLAIN - MONUMENT HISTORIQUE

Château de la Groulaie: powerful yesterday, impressive today

The first foundations of the fortress, designed by Alain Fergent, were laid in the late 11th and early 12th centuries.
The Clisson family, right up to Olivier V, a high and mighty Breton lord and Constable of France, enlarged this enormous fortified castle covering four hectares.
The Rohans lived there with their court from the 15th century until the Revolution.
The greatest of them all, Henri II, the Duke, was born here in 1579.
The Wars of Religion, including the long siege by Spanish troops in 1591, the dismantling ordered by Richelieu, and the actions of the revolutionaries caused extensive destruction. However, impressive dwellings, towers and walls still remain.
Marie Bonaparte saved the château from ruin in the 1900s, after which the commune became the owner of the listed parts.
These are now open to visitors, with exhibitions and historical re-enactments.