The castle in the Renaissance

The castle of Jean II

Clisson’s grandson, Alain IX de Rohan, built a 70 metre long house with a splendid facade that bears witness to the flamboyant Gothic and Renaissance architecture prevalent in Brittany at that time. The son of Alian IX, Jean II, continued the works which were finally completed around 1520, thanks to grants given King Charles VIII to reward the Jean II for his backing, having favoured the King’s marriage to the Duchess Anne de Bretagne, Jean II’s niece.

This facade reveals an extraordinary granite lacework. Each of the galleries running between the windows have different motifs. In the centre, the Rohan motto A PLUS.

To the left, a grille made up from small lozenges, the Rohan emblem. To the right, ermines, emblem of Brittany. The imposing size of the rood and the height of the dormer-windows, with its two storeys of windows contrasting with the horizontality of the galleries, provides the building with a marvelous sense of harmony.

As from the end of the 16th century, the château was no longer inhabited by the family. During the 17th century religious war, Henri de Rohan, General-in-Chief of the Calvinists, rebelled against the royal power. To punish him, Cardinal de Richelieu had the Josselin fortress sacked in 1629. The keep and part of the walls were destroyed.