Castle of Vitré

Description of the castle

The first castle dated from XIe century. It was rebuilt in XIIIe, XIVe and XVe centuries. The city bought in 1820 with the family of Trémoille. The current place the forecourt of the castle, there was the collegial one, the stable and the commun runs. The fortress is of form triangular. The entry is defended by a drawbridge and powerful a châtelet flanked of two grosses towers to machicolation. With the southern angle draws up the keep or St. Lawrence turn, with the north-eastern angle the tower of the Madeleine, with the north-western angle the tower of Montafilant. These various works are connected by an enclosure which with others turns reinforce. While entering the court, one sees, on the line, a Romance porch with the archstones of alternate colors (russet-red granite and black schist), and, leaned with the northern face, the town hall (1913).

In front of oneself, one will notice, on the lathe of the Oratory, an elegant Renaissance oratory. One visits the Montafilant tower from where offers itself, of the platform (82 steps), a very beautiful sight on the city, districts of the Noirs hillocks and the Borough to the Monks, the Unpleasant one and an old tannery. By the courtine, one gains the tower of the Oratory, where a beautiful triptych of XVIe century, decorated is exposed of thirty two enamels of Limoges.

The St. Lawrence tower shelters inter alia sculptures of XVe and XVIe centuries coming from houses of Glazed (a beautiful chimney of a house of the street of the pottery was re-installed), the tomb of Guy X, lord of Laval and of Glazed (XVe), a trunk of XVIIe, tapestries of Flandres (XVIe) and Aubusson (XVIIe). The tower of Silverware preserves a cabinet of curiosities with a collection of natural history of the end of last century (XIXe).