Remparts de la Ville Close
FortressHidden Treasure
Remparts de la Ville Close, located in Concarneau (Département 29), is a Renaissance château built in the 16th century. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- Fort
- Period
- Renaissance (16th century)
- Location
- Concarneau, Département 29, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.8723, -3.9163
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00089895
A medieval jewel resting on the waters of Concarneau harbour, the Ville Close is one of the few fortified island towns in France, encircled by 15th-century ramparts modified by Vauban.
History
In the heart of Concarneau Bay, a tiny island is home to one of Brittany's best-preserved fortified towns: the Ville Close. Linked to the modern town by two footbridges, this walled city in every sense of the word is like a journey suspended between the Middle Ages and the Age of Enlightenment, where the grey granite ramparts are reflected in the waters of the busiest fishing port in mainland France. What makes this monument truly unique is the legible superimposition of its defensive layers: the thick, austere 15th-century medieval curtain walls sit alongside 17th-century developments - ravelin, demi-lune - in an open-air lesson in military architecture. Unlike many strongholds that have been transformed into aristocratic residences, Concarneau's ramparts have retained their strictly functional character, their sobriety making the brutality of the cut stone all the more eloquent. The walk along the rampart walk is the central experience not to be missed. Almost 400 metres long, this elevated walkway offers alternating panoramas of the blue slate roofs of the inner city on one side, and the broad maritime horizon on the other - trawlers at anchor, the Glénan islands in the distance on a clear day. The changing light of the Atlantic makes this site a photographic subject of rare generosity, whether in the golden dawn or under the tormented skies of the Breton autumn. Inside the ramparts, a lively main street runs through the heart of the island, lined with low houses with flower-filled windows and a few shops. The Musée de la Pêche (Fishing Museum), housed in the old barracks, is a reminder that this fortress was for a long time home to a lively community before becoming a monument visited every year by hundreds of thousands of curious visitors from all over the world.
Architecture
The ramparts of the Ville Close are part of the transitional bastioned fortification tradition, at the crossroads between the medieval enclosure with round towers and the classical bastioned system popularised by Vauban in the following century. The enclosure, around 400 metres long, follows the perimeter of the island in an irregular pattern dictated by the morphology of the island's terrain. The curtain walls, built of local granite with its bluish and grey tones, are several metres thick in places, a tangible reminder of the artillery resistance required in the 15th century. The medieval round towers, levelled to the height of the parapets in accordance with Vaubanian orders, form circular platforms that regularly punctuate the layout and ensure a crossfire on the maritime approaches. The advanced works form the most sophisticated part of the complex: the ravelin, built in the first half of the 17th century, protects the main entrance by means of an independent triangular structure; the half-moon completes this system by covering a more exposed flank. These two elements reflect a mastery of the principles of Italian fortification - depth of defence, multiplication of firing angles - adapted to the island constraints of the site. Two monumental gates, adorned with machicolations and harrow grooves, command the entrance to the walled city, their meticulous detail contrasting with the functional rudeness of the curtain walls that frame them. Together, they form an exceptional testimony to the development of French military art from the Middle Ages to the early years of the reign of Louis XIV.
Related Figures
Bertrand Du Guesclin — connétable de France, reprit Concarneau aux Anglais en 1373Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban — commissaire général des fortifications, adapta les remparts à l'artillerie moderne au XVIIe siècleLes moines de l'abbaye de Landévennec — premiers occupants de l'île au VIIe siècle, à l'origine des premières fortificationsJean IV de Bretagne — duc de Bretagne, signataire du traité de Guérande, sous le règne duquel les fortifications furent renforcées au XIVe siècleLouis XIV — sous son règne, les travaux de Vauban transformèrent durablement le profil défensif de la place
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Remparts de la Ville Close located?
Remparts de la Ville Close is located in Concarneau, Département 29 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Remparts de la Ville Close built?
Remparts de la Ville Close dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Remparts de la Ville Close open to visitors?
Remparts de la Ville Close is currently closed to visitors.
