BRETAGNE

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Une architecture militaire armée de sept tours, reliées entre elle par des courtines et un chemin de ronde.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Conçue par François II, aménagée et embellie par sa fille Anne et située en plein coeur du centre-ville de Nantes, cette austère place forte, dont les douves étaient jadis alimentées par un bras de la Loire, était l’une des « marches » de Bretagne, ces châteaux forts édifiés pour garder la frontière du duché, qui en 1213 choisit Nantes pour capitale, contre le royaume de France.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Côté cour, c’est un autre monde qui se dévoile. Au milieu du XVème siècle, François II (1433- 1488), le dernier duc de la Bretagne indépendante, fit élever, à la place d’une forteresse datant du début du XIIIème siècle, une élégante résidence en pierre de tuffeau d’Anjou.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      "Ventre-saint-gris ! Les ducs de Bretagne n’étaient pas de petits compagnons." Henri IV s'exclama ainsi, venu à Nantes en 1598 pour signer le célèbre édit. Plus de quatre siècles plus tard, le visiteur ne peut qu’être impressionné devant cette intimidante forteresse aux lourdes murailles de schiste et de granit.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Cinq cents mètres de chemins de ronde, sept tours défensives reliées par de hautes courtines, un pont-levis …                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           La tour des Jacobins qui faisait face au couvent du même nom, et la tour du Port (au premier plan) étaient équipées de canonnières.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Entre gothique flamboyant et Renaissance, l’ensemble, d’une blancheur éclatante, présente des façades raffinées dignes des plus beaux châteaux de la Loire.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Le palais ducal, qui arbore la richesse et l’ambition du duc de Bretagne en Europe, sera par la suite embelli par la fille de François II, Anne de Bretagne, qui deviendra reine de France à deux reprises – fait unique, car elle s’est mariée à Charles VIII, puis à Louis XII.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Le Grand Logis présente une façade ornée de hautes fenêtres dotées d’un arc aux motifs végétaux. La toiture d’ardoises est décorée de cinq lucarnes gothiques à pinacles finement ouvragés.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Celle qui est au centre témoigne par son décor sculpté de l’union de la Bretagne à la France : le porc-épic de Louis XII apparaît face au lévrier d’Anne.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Côté cour, des bâtiments résidentiels tout de tuffeau blanc. Le Grand Logis, et ses lucarnes de style gothique flamboyant, ainsi que la tour de la Couronne d'or furent édifiés par François II.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Le Grand Gouvernement, reconstruit dans un style classique après un incendie en 1670, est relié au Grand Logis par la tour de la Couronne d’or.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     C’est le plus bel élément du château, avec ses deux escaliers à vis et ses loggias inspirées par la Renaissance italienne, dont les baies donnent sur l’extérieur. Ses deux flèches figuraient l’autorité ducale et royale.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Après le rattachement de la Bretagne à la France, en 1532, le château devint la résidence bretonne des rois de France.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          François I^er fit construire le Petit Gouvernement ou « logis du roi » de style Renaissance. Catherine de Médicis, Charles IX, Louis XIV y séjourneront.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              L’entrée principale est gardée par les tours jumelles du Pied-de-Biche (à gauche) et de la Boulangerie (1466)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Après Après la Révolution, le château a failli être rasé. Sa transformation en caserne l’a sauvé de la destruction.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Propriété de la ville depuis 1915, il a rouvert ses portes en 2007 après trois années de fermeture et quinze ans de travaux.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Ses Ses trente-deux pièces abritent un musée exceptionnel qui, à travers plus de huit cents oeuvres, retrace l’histoire de la ville, de l’Antiquité à nos jours.