Remparts Nord
MonumentHidden Treasure
Remparts Nord, located in Fougères (Département 35), is a Renaissance château built in the 16th century. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Renaissance (16th century)
- Location
- Fougères, Département 35, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.3549, -1.2084
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00090570
Sentinelles de pierre dressées au nord de Fougères, ces remparts médiévaux du XIIIe au XVe siècle offrent un témoignage saisissant de l'architecture militaire bretonne, entre tours massives et courtines dominant la ville.
History
The northern ramparts of Fougères are one of the best-preserved medieval defensive complexes in Brittany, forming a stone belt that has long protected this border town from Capetian ambitions and Angevin incursions. Built on the heights overlooking the lower town and the course of the Nançon river, they offer an almost intact insight into the development of fortification techniques between the 13th and 15th centuries. What makes these ramparts truly unique is their ability to tell the story of two centuries of military development in a single glance. The oldest sections, sober and austere, contrast with the more sophisticated 15th-century additions, designed in response to the emergence of gunpowder artillery. Attentive visitors will find it easy to distinguish between the architraved towers of the early Middle Ages and the gun towers with embrasures for the fire hydrants. Strolling along these curtain walls is like physically grasping the implacable logic of medieval defence: firing angles, zones of mutual protection between towers, dry ditches that accentuate the imposing verticality of the masonry. Walkers along the sentry walk have an exceptional panoramic view of the slate roofs of Fougères and the wooded valleys of the Marche bretonne. The site is just as much for enthusiasts of military architecture, who will find it a remarkable place to study, as it is for families wishing to explore an open-air historic site. The low-angled light of the morning or the golden hues of late afternoon transfigure the grey granite of the walls, making these ramparts a photographic subject of the highest order.
Architecture
The northern ramparts of Fougères are part of the great tradition of Breton military architecture of the 13th-15th centuries, characterised by the almost exclusive use of local granite, a material of remarkable hardness and durability. The curtain walls, varying in thickness from two to three metres depending on the section, rise to a height of between eight and twelve metres, topped by a partially covered or crenellated parapet walk, depending on the sequence. The circular towers, the structural elements of the ensemble, have an external diameter of around seven to ten metres for 13th-century structures. Their bases are slightly heeled, a technique that became more pronounced in 15th-century towers to better deflect artillery projectiles. The splayed archways, characteristic of the military Gothic style, are clearly distinguishable from the wider embrasures created during later alterations to accommodate bombards or couleuvrines. The close-jointed granite masonry bears witness to the skills of Breton stonemasons, who were able to work this thankless rock with remarkable precision. A few layers of slate schist punctuate the facings in places, creating a sober but elegant two-tone effect typical of military buildings in the Marche region of Brittany. The whole, soberly devoid of superfluous ornamentation, illustrates the functional aesthetics of medieval defensive architecture brought to its highest degree of efficiency.
Related Figures
Raoul II de Fougères — seigneur bâtisseur du XIIe-XIIIe siècle, acteur majeur de la consolidation des défenses de la villeJean V, duc de Bretagne — mécène des renforcements défensifs du XVe siècleFrançois II, duc de Bretagne — sous son règne furent réalisées les dernières adaptations à l'artillerieVictor Hugo — visita Fougères en 1836 et célébra ses fortifications dans ses carnets de voyage, contribuant à leur renommée romantiqueHonoré de Balzac — s'inspira de la ville et de ses remparts pour son roman 'Les Chouans' (1829), popularisant Fougères dans toute l'EuropeHenri II Plantagenêt — fit raser le château en 1166, déclenchant indirectement la nécessité de reconstruire et de fortifier durablement la cité
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Remparts Nord located?
Remparts Nord is located in Fougères, Département 35 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Remparts Nord built?
Remparts Nord dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Remparts Nord open to visitors?
Remparts Nord is currently closed to visitors.
