Suscinio Castle (France)

The Castle of Suscinio, as it is seen today, offers the image of a large house of the fifteenth century. From the large inner courtyard, the gaze is on two main building, six towers and two curtain walls. It is a closed-plan residence surrounded by a moat and a drawbridge.

By remaining a residential castle, one can easily recognize the typical elements of medieval castles: curtain wall, walkway, drawbridge, loopholes, machicolation ... which are here as well a decor, symbol of the ducal power, that elements of defense.

The construction of the castle of Suscinio is started by Jean Ier dit Leroux in the second quarter of the thirteenth century. In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, the castle was the subject of several campaigns of important work under the ducal dynasty of Montfort. From 1532, the castle of Suscinio passes in the royal domain. Many owners will succeed each other over the centuries, such as Diane de Poitiers, Catherine de Medici ... Strongly damaged during the French Revolution, the castle is bought in 1965 by the Department of Morbihan, which has since undertaken remarkable restorations.

Today, only the houses East and West, built by the Montfort are still in elevation. The tour begins with the 3 floors of the East dwelling. We can discover the different spaces that make up the castle: the banquet room, the room of withdrawal of the duke, the ovens, the wardrobe of the duchess ... etc. In the different rooms, panels give explanations on the history of the castle and the dukes of Brittany as well as on daily life in the Middle Ages. Objects discovered during archaeological excavations are also exhibited.