Photo : Coyau / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Château de Hédé
The town of Hédé, in the Ille-et-Vilaine, grew up in the shadow of its castle, recorded from the 11th century. The first castle, known as La Motte-Jouhan, stood north-east of the town, where the roads to Guipel and Combourg meet. It was taken without a fight by Duke Conan IV with an English troop in 1156 and by Henry II of England in 1168.
A new fortress was built soon afterwards west of the town, on top of a high promontory falling steeply to the north, west and south, with an extremely wide view; it may once have been a Roman castellum. The castle was repaired by Duke John II (1286-1305), then in 1307, 1399 and 1443-1450. The French took it without resistance in 1488 after their victory at Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier. Mercœur seized it in 1597, and Henry IV had it demolished the following year. The base of its large curtain wall and the ruins of its massive keep are all that remain of this important stronghold.
