In Ille-et-Vilaine, the castle Le Rocher Portail is one of the most beautiful Breton pleasure houses. Built in 1617 by a relative of Henri IV, it is known today as an incredible testimony of the aristocratic art of living in the 19th century and... to be transformed from time to time into Hogwarts! Back on the history of this Breton Downton Abbey and its (communicative) passion for Harry Potter.
A central figure in the history of the castle, its founder Gilles Ruellan was born in the Fougères region. Close to Henri IV, he played an important role in his friend's rise to power. Successively Baron, State Councillor and Marquis, the Breton decided in 1696 to build a pleasure castle on his native land and set his sights on the land of Rocher Portail.
Inhabited throughout its history and protected during the French Revolution and the 2 World Wars, the castle finished in 1617 was the property of the Boutray family from 1866 to 2016. They made important changes, especially in the outbuildings and basements. Entirely preserved, the servants' rooms are interesting testimonies of the way a residence of this size lived in the 19th century, a period when the notion of social hierarchy was central.
To celebrate its 400 years, the site opened its doors to the public in 2017 thanks to the incredible investment of its new owner, Manuel Roussel. Since then, nearly 15,000 visitors come each year to dive into a lost universe worthy of the hit series Downton Abbey. Indeed, nearly 35 servants have long worked in the service of the lords and period photographs and written testimonies bring to life before our eyes all these people entirely devoted to the life of the castle.
Enchanted objects, magical creatures, magical effects... For its first edition in 2022, the Portal Rock version of the wizarding school welcomed more than 13,000 fans of JK Rowling's literary saga who were able to take on the role of the most famous wizard. Just like at Hogwarts, students of all ages were able to marvel at the castle's authentic medieval banquet hall or discover the dormitories of each of the apprentice wizards' houses. In real settings made up in part of elements belonging to the historic monument (some dating back several centuries!), they were also able to see the teachers' rooms and classrooms of this school like no other.
This year, the experience will be even more magical with different activities proposed this summer such as "The Millendal competition" based on 4 spells (broom flying, archery in the forbidden forest, zolympus games and riddles in the labyrinths) or "The treasure crypt" which will invite the students to break the rule forbidding them to enter the cellars located under the castle...
For more information and to schedule your visit, visit the official website of the Castle the Gate Rock, the new school for wizards https://lerocherportail.fr/
Valérie from Comme des Français
---
Let's stay in the rich Breton heritage :
