Josselin and the Rohan Family: A Thousand Years of History

I previously wrote about a castle Brissac, which is located in the west Loire valley And which has belonged to the same family for about 500 years. Today I want to tell you about a castle with a similar but different story. Like Brissac Castle, it has also belonged to the same family for about 1,000 years (!). However, while Brissac Castle was a castle of pleasures, Joslin Castle, which is located in the region Brittany, became a symbol of the struggle for independence.

This is a very interesting castle that hides quite a few secrets and the Rohan family, which still controls it today, is one of the most interesting families in French history. Today we will discover the story of the castle and its inhabitants, but first let's get into the atmosphere with the following short video:

Build, destroy, build, destroy and build again

The first castle in the area was built in 1008 by Guéthénoc, the Viscount of Porhoët, and named after his son Goscelinus. Over the years, this name became Joscelin, and the castle is still called that today. The lords of Joscelin could not have chosen a better location on a cliff above the Oust River, where a major trade route passed in the Middle Ages. Add to this a church that became a pilgrimage site because of a statue someone found nearby in a thicket of thorns and which, he claimed, cured his wife's blindness. The church is still called Notre Dame du Roncier (Our Lady of the Thorns) and the pilgrimage to it brought the lords of the castle quite a bit of money.

The castle built by Gutnock was destroyed by the English during the 12th century and a new castle was built in its place, whose men were involved in the Battle of the 30th, which you can read about in the article. The unknown Brittany של Danny AshkenaziThe castle we know today was built in 1370 by Olivier de Clisson, who would later become the Count of France (a rank equivalent to the Chief of Staff in our country). The fortress contained 8 towers connected by a wall and the castle became one of the strongest fortresses in Brittany. Since Clisson had no male heir, the castle passed back to the Rohan family, whose son, Viscount Alain VIII, married his daughter Beatrice.

During the 15th century, the Rohan family grew stronger and at times it seemed that there was a chasm between them and the Duchy of Brittany. However, the Rohan family failed to achieve this goal and if you can't beat your opponent, you might as well join him. And this was done by Jean II, who at the end of the 2th century built a Renaissance granite palace between the towers of the Joslin Castle. If you look at the facade of the palace, you will see the letter A, the first letter in the name of Anne of Brittany Which symbolizes the alliance between the Duchess of Brittany and the Viscount.

So, it's true, the Rohan family did not become the rulers of Brittany, but that doesn't mean their sons didn't continue to make quite a bit of noise during the bloody history of France in the 16th century. During the Wars of Religion, René II joined the Protestant side and Josselin became a battlefield between 2 and 1559. During this period, the Rohan family lost the castle for a while. However, in the end, Henry IV, the head of the Protestant camp, became King of France (after becoming Catholic) and the family discovered that they had turned on the right horse. Not only did they get the castle back, but Henri de Rohan received the title of Duke in 1598.

But if you thought the title of Duke would somehow appease this family, you were wrong. Henry, Duke of Rouen rebels בLouis XIV and Richelieu, his prime minister, and during the 20s becomes a chronic headache for both. After quite a few battles and peace treaties that are violated shortly after they are signed, Richelieu manages to defeat the forces of the Duke of Rohan and as punishment destroys 17 of the eight towers of the Josselin castle. Henri de Rohan leaves France, arrives in Venice, accepts an offer from the Turks to become the ruler of Cyprus, returns to fight in Europe during the Thirty Years' War and ends up dying of wounds sustained at the Battle of Rheinefelden in 4.

The 17th and 18th centuries: powerful women and a deadly string

Henri de Rohan had no male heir, only one daughter named Marguerite, who became the most desirable bachelor in France. However, despite many marriage proposals from the powerful noble families in France, Marguerite decided to marry out of love with Henri de Chabot, who came from a much lower family. This created a huge scandal in the French royal court, after all, who ever dreamed that it was possible to marry for love? The issue came to the Queen of France, Anne of Austria (Louis XIV He was 7 years old at the time) and when the Duchess was asked about the option of marrying someone else, she said:

I don't know if I could decide to marry him (Henri de Chavo), but I know I couldn't stand him marrying someone else.

With such a statement, even the Queen of France could not stand aside. Marguerite received permission to marry her beloved, and not only that, but Henri de Chavo was forced to change his surname from Chavo to Rohan so that the ducal family name could continue to exist.

The daughter of Marguerite and Henri Chabot, Anne was considered one of the most beautiful women of the 17th century and in 1669 she “came on the radar” of Louis XIV and became his mistress (just as he was moving from Madame de la Valliere לMadame de MontespanDuring this relationship, Anne became pregnant, probably by the king, as the child Armand Gaston bore a suspicious resemblance to him (his later title at court was Louis II). Anne's husband was less bothered by this, as the king compensated him generously, allowing the couple to build their Hotel de Soubise, undoubtedly the most magnificent palace בMarais District Sit downParis.

This created a kind of closure of the circle because where the Hôtel de Sauvage stands, there once stood the Hôtel de Clisson, which belonged to Olivier de Clisson, one of Anne de Rouen's ancestors. And by the way, this Armand Gaston benefited quite a bit from being, apparently, the son of Louis XIV Because thanks to his “father” he was elected to the French Academy, became a cardinal and built the Hotel de Rohan not far from the Palace of Sauvage (as of September 2019 the palace is under renovation but when it opens to the general public it should be spectacular).

Another important woman from the Rohan family (but from a different branch of it) is Marie de Rohan (1600-1679), better known to us as the Duchesse de Chevreuse. Marie became famous in French history as a tireless subversive, who throughout her life worked against Richelieu and then Mazarin. She eventually died in exile at the age of 79, but thanks to her memoirs she achieved eternal life. How, you ask? Alexandre Dumas, who decided to write an adventure story set in the 17th century, used her memoirs and based them on them wrote “The Three Musketeers.” And so, thanks to this bestseller, the image of Richelieu as an evil villain and the image of the Duchesse de Chevreuse as Anne of Austria’s only friend were burned into our consciousness. There is no doubt that when history is not written by the powerful, it is written by Alexandre Dumas…

During the 18th century, the Rohan family continued to ensure that their sons would rise to the top of the secular and religious government of France. Two people from this family became famous, and not necessarily for the better. The first was Chevalier de Rohan (1783-1760), who entered French history after he began to argue with Voltaire at a social event. The argument became very ugly and included a series of insults in which Chevalier had no chance of winning thanks to Voltaire's wit and sharp tongue. Therefore, in response, Chevalier de Rohan hired several thugs who beat Voltaire in the street while the latter watched the play from his carriage. Voltaire did not give up and challenged Chevalier to a duel. In response, the above-mentioned used his connections at the king's court. Voltaire went on an "all-inclusive" vacation בBastille.

The second son of the Rohan family, who entered history for the wrong reasons, is Louis René, better known as Cardinal de Rohan (1734-1803) from the Rosary Scandal. This is a long and convoluted scandal, about which I will write an in-depth article in the future, during which the Cardinal was tricked by a con artist into buying a diamond necklace. לMarie Antoinette And then ask her for money for that necklace. Marie Antoinette She pleaded not guilty and said she had not asked for any rosary, and the cardinal was consequently sent to the Bastille. The cardinal was eventually acquitted at trial, but Marie Antoinette's public image was forever tarnished, and this undoubtedly precipitated the הFrench Revolution.

And again Joscelin rebels (this time against the Nazis)

During the 18th century, the Rohan family rarely lived at Joslin Castle, preferring their more luxurious residences. בBordeaux, Strasbourg and Paris. During the French Revolution, the family was forced to flee France and the castle became a prison. When the family returned to France during the French Revolution and Napoleon's rule, Joscelin Castle was in ruins. However, starting in the 40s, the family began to renovate the castle and restore the splendor that had characterized it in previous centuries. Also in the 19th century, the custom of calling the eldest son Joscelin or Alain took root in the ducal family, and so, if you look at the family tree, you will see that Joscelin sometimes ruled and Alain sometimes (today, the name of the head of the family is Joscelin).

During World War II, the head of the family was Alain, the 13th Duke of Rohan. He was captured by the Germans in 1940 but was eventually released and returned to Joslin. There, without wasting any time, Alain created a network of resistance fighters who passed on important information about the Germans in Brittany to the Allies. After the family, Alain became involved in French politics. Apparently, there are things like the connection between the Rohan family and politics French That never change…

The second half of the 20th century Château de Josselin is open to the public but can only be visited through organized tours in English and French. The tour includes several very luxurious rooms (unfortunately, photography is not allowed, so I couldn't post any photos) and the guide doesn't skimp on information about the chateau and the family (some of you might even say they're a bit of a digger). You can also visit the castle gardens and the nearby town (entering the basilica is especially recommended).

More information about the castle and information about visiting hours can be found בLink this (Unfortunately, only the French version of the website works).

Want to live near Joslin Castle?

If you want to visit Joslin you can find בLink this Some not bad options.

Want to know more information about France in general?

I invite you to come in. For the comprehensive guide to France And if you would like to get to know the area where the castle is located in more depth, you are welcome to enterPage about Brittany.