Pouancé Medieval Castle

En un regard

Le château en bref

Pouancé Medieval Castle is a municipal castle located in the French commune of Pouancé, in the Maine-et-Loire department, on the western border of the former province of Anjou, facing Brittany. Together with the town's urban walls, part of which is still visible today, it covers an area of three hectares. It is sometimes nicknamed the "second castle of Anjou" in terms of importance, just after the Château d'Angers. It belongs to the Marches of Brittany and is the Angevin counterpart of the Château de Châteaubriant. Built on a fortified site dating back at least to the 11th century, the present-day fortress was constructed between the 12th and 15th centuries. Besieged several times during the Hundred Years' War, it became a major stronghold at the end of the 15th century, during the conflict between the Kingdom of France and the Duchy of Brittany. The castle has been listed as a monument historique since 7 July 1926. It underwent forty years of intermittent excavations and restoration, notably between 1981 and 1996, with the support of volunteers from the association Chantiers Histoire et Architecture Médiévales. However, many questions remain open, as the site has not been the subject of in-depth research.