I discovered Chateaubriand during a trip with Danny Ashkenazi And my best friend Isabel Decided to stop here on the way to the castle Brissac, which was the “main course” of that day. We parked in front of the town’s church and since I am a known church lover, I took Isabel with me and together we went inside. You can see the rest in the following video…
After a song like that, I realized that there must be some kind of magic hidden in the town, and when we got to the castle itself, I realized that I was right. I had never seen such a combination of a medieval fortress and a Renaissance palace. My gut feeling said that there was an interesting story hidden here, so I decided to “dig” a little into history to discover it. Happily, after a little “digging,” I discovered that I was right. Isabelle, who sang in Chateaubriand, may have been delighted, but the other women there were much less happy…
To meet the husband and die of joy
Before I start telling you the story of the ancient castle and the people who lived there, it is necessary to clarify something important. I am referring, of course, to the connection between the Château de Chateaubriand, the famous writer François-René de Chateaubriand, and the equally famous steak of the same name. Well: there is no connection between the name of the castle, which ends with the letter T, and the name of the writer, which ends with the letter D. However, having clarified this, we can begin…
Chateaubriand Castle was built in the 11th century and was part of a series of castles including Chateau de la Croix. Clisson Aimed at protecting the duchy Brittany Because of the King of France. In the 13th century, relations between the Lords of Chateaubriand and the King of France actually warmed up, and one of them (Geoffroy IV) even saved the life of Louis IX of France during the Battle of Mansouras (4) during the Seventh Crusade. In return, the King of France agreed that the Lord de Chateaubriand would replace the pine cones that adorned his family's knightly shield with the Fleur de Lys, the symbol of the French monarchy. And thus the Chateaubriand coat of arms was created.
And speaking of Geoffroy IV, after the Battle of Mansoura, in which he saved the life of Louis IX, he fell into the hands of the Saracens. After several years, the King of France managed to raise the required ransom and Geoffroy was released. After a long journey from Egypt, he finally arrived at the entrance to his castle. His wife Sibyl, who heard that he had finally arrived home, ran to him and hugged him with great love. However, she suddenly turned pale and fell dead to the ground. According to the chroniclers of that period, she died of joy…
The tragic fate of the royal mistress
If you thought that was the only tragedy hidden in this castle, you were wrong. Let's move forward in time a few centuries to the 16th century. During this period, the castle passed from the Barons of Chateaubriand to the Barons of מDinan And finally to the Laval family. One of the family members, Jean, received the title of Baron Chateaubriand and in 1509 married Françoise de Foix.
Françoise, a relative of Anne of Brittany Duchess of Brittany and Queen of France (twice), she was one of the most beautiful women in France. Not only that, but Françoise was an intelligent woman who knew FrenchShe was fluent in Italian and Latin, and even wrote some pretty good poetry. All of these qualities led her to spend time at the royal court and attract the attention of the King of France. Francis IThe King of France began to shower her with gifts and promoted her family and husband both in the army and at court. After about two years of struggle, the Baroness de Chateaubriand surrendered and became the first mistress of Francis I (but certainly not the last).
At first, her husband seemed unimpressed by her new status and even enjoyed the royal gifts that fell to his lot, and Françoise continued to be the royal mistress for about a decade. In 1525, Françoise was captured by the Spanish after the Battle of Pavia and returned to France after 3 years. There, at the king's court, he met Anne de Pisseleu (Anna Jeanne de Pisseleu d'Heilly), who was about a decade younger than Françoise. Anne de Pisseleu, who was also beautiful, succeeded in winning the king's heart after a two-year struggle, and Françoise de Chateaubriand returned to her castle in 1528.
In the following years, Françoise continued to correspond with the king, and he even visited her in the new Renaissance palace that her husband had built. However, during these years, her husband's attitude towards Françoise began to change, and more than a decade of jealousy poisoned his heart. Jeanne imprisoned Françoise in a dark room in the palace, where she died in 1537. Did she die a natural death or was she murdered by her husband? Researchers and historians argue about this to this day...
Victor Hugo's Women
And we'll end the historical part with a slightly more optimistic anecdote. In the summer of 1796, the young Sophie Trébuchet met the promising captain Joseph Leopold Hugo. The two later married. בParis And from this connection the famous writer was born Victor HugoThis relationship was also quite tragic, although not as tragic as the previous relationships I have reviewed. The two spouses were politically divided (Hugo Sr. supported the French Revolution and was a Bonapartist, while his mother was a royalist). As a result, the couple eventually divorced and Sophie and the children left for Paris, where they lived in poverty for quite a while.
And by the way, the Breton connection in Victor Hugo's life does not end at Chateaubriand, as both his wife Adèle Foucher and his mistress Juliette Drouet (Juliette Drouet) were born in Brittany.
Visit to Chateaubriand Castle
When you arrive at the castle, you will discover that it consists of two parts: the old castle from the 11th century and a Renaissance castle built between 1533 and 1539. Of the ancient parts of the castle, a gate and a square tower from the 13th century have survived. However, what is most interesting to me is the Renaissance palace, which is very photogenic (especially from the outside).
Unfortunately, parts of this palace are under renovation (as of July 2019) so you can only enter a limited number of rooms. When these renovations are complete, you will be able to see more and even enjoy occasional medieval-style shows and other surprises, as you can see in the following video:
After you've finished visiting the castle, you're also welcome to visit the town, where several other houses from the 15th century have been preserved, especially on Rue Couéré, so it's definitely worth a visit.
Want to live not far from Chateaubriand?
Danny's charming castle Manoir de la Chausee It is about 40 km from the castle and is highly recommended as a base for star trips in Brittany. If you would like to live right in Chateaubriand itself, you are welcome to come לLink this.
Thinking of traveling to France and wondering where to go? Come visit In the Anonymous Francophiles' Traveler's Guide to France