The Commequiers castle (Fr. Château de Commequiers) is a castle in Commequiers in the Vendée department, Pays de la Loire, France. The original location and time of construction of the original castle is unknown. Some scholars claim it may have been built in the 11th century, at the same time as the châteaux of La Chaize-le-Vicomte and Tiffauges, under the commission of the Viscount of Touars, who had influence over what are today the northern parts of Vendée.
Architecture
The high court was formed by a stone construction, hexagonal in shape, with eight round towers connected by curtain walls. The towers were each covered with a conical roof, and perhaps surmounted by machicolations. An entrance, which has still not been located, allowed access to the farmyard.
Inside, against the walls there were the main buildings and framing a central courtyard in the shape of a hexagon.
There were three separate levels of floors everywhere: lower hall, ground floor and upper floor. Each tower had three gun openings at the ground floor level, and three more upstairs.
Each level is equipped with latrines flowing into the moat.
A tower has a spiral staircase to go from the ground floor to the first floor, the ground floor being accessible from the inner courtyard. The bases of all the towers and curtain walls are flared outwards (glacis), which reinforced the base of the masonry and made it possible to “strafe” attackers attempting to dig the walls, by releasing stones from the top of the machicolations.
Now the castle is under reconstruction.
Each year, the association of Friends of the old castle of Commequiers organizes various events including the “Medieval”, a two-day festival, every first weekend in August.
There are more than 500 extras in period costumes with camp, medieval market, equestrian and archery tournament, sword fighting, troubadours and minstrels, day and night shows, games for children, water games, theater, puppets , parade, feast, tavern, Vendée pancakes …
Open and free to public.
Located 58 min (65.0 km) via D117 from Nantes.
GPS coordinates: 46.7663°N 1.8315°W
Shortest distances by car
- From Paris: 4 hr 42 min (459 km) via A11 and A87
- From Toulouse: 5 hr 31 min (570 km) via A62 and A10
- From Marseille: 9 hr 12 min (969 km) via A62
- From Nice: 10 hr 47 min (1,128 km) via A62
- From Monaco: 11 hr (1,150 km) via A62
- From Andorra: 7 hr 50 min (752 km) via A62
- From Madrid: 10 hr 36 min (1,023 km) via A-1
- From Moscow: 36 hr (3,348 km) via E30/M1
- From Belgrade: 22 hr 28 min (2,094 km) via E70
- From Istanbul: 32 hr (3,089 km) via E70
- From Bern: 9 hr 36 min (933 km) via A6
See here France travel guide
See here Spain travel guide
See here Pyrenees travel guide
See here Andorra travel guide
