Built on a rocky cape facing the sea, Fort-la-Latte in Côtes-d'Armor has been used as a set for several films. Many times besieged, demolished and rebuilt, it has been classified as a historical monument since 1925 and its ruins, some dating back to its creation in the 14th century, continue to be restored by the current owners. A visit not to be missed in Brittany!
Located in the commune of Plévenon in the bay of Saint-Malo, the fort built in 1364 was previously called La Roche-Goyon, the name of one of the oldest Breton families. With its strategic location it was repeatedly dismantled, ravaged and looted. In particular, it was the object of attacks during the religious wars, and was often coveted, such as by Charles V who confiscated it in the 14th century. At the end of the 17th century, when only its keep remained, it was burned down and then abandoned.
Located between the commercial routes linking Saint-Malo, Normandy and the Channel Islands, in the 18th century it was transformed into a defensive fort by the man in charge of fortifying the coast and defending the city of Malouin. It was a site for the construction of cannonballs, a prison for counter-revolutionaries in 1793, and was attacked again in 1815. It was finally decommissioned by the Minister of War in 1890.
It was abandoned again and sold 2 years later, and it was not until 1925 that it was classified as a historical monument. Then in great part in ruins, it is gradually restored by its successive owners and, with the current family Joüon des Longrais, finally opened to the public.
With 170,000 visitors each year, the tourist attraction of the Fort-la-Latte is undiminished and more and more curious people are coming to discover its incredible history and its results: a drawbridge, a courtyard with a small medieval garden, a chapel, dwellings, a 20,000-liter cistern, cannons still positioned facing the sea...
Among the most impressive vestiges there is the dungeon but also a cannonball oven which gave the popular expression "tirer à boulets rouges" (to fire red cannonballs): this oven allowed to heat the cannonballs to red before firing them.
To put yourself in the shoes of a nobleman, a king, a soldier or a privateer: this fort located on top of a cliff offering a magnificent sea view is waiting for you! To schedule your visit it is here.
Valérie from Comme des Français
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Crédit photo (images 2 et 3) : ©Tom Hilton sous licence CC BY 2.0
