La Roche-Jagu Castle

La Roche-Jagu Castle, locally known as Château de La Roche-Jagu, lies north of the village of Pontrieux, in the Côtes-d'Armor department in France.

The first castle at this site was a castral motte built sometime during the 11th or 12th century. From its situation on a steep promontory on the left bank of the estuary of the Trieux River it was meant to control maritime traffic.

In 1405, Catherine de Troguindy, widow of Maurice du Parc, received permission from John V, Duke of Brittany, to rebuild her castle which had been destroyed during de War of the Breton Succession. Catherine the built the present fortified house, possibly incorporating parts of the earlier castle.

During the next centuries the castle passed through the hands of several families through marriage and succession, like the Péan and Acigné families. In 1773 it was sold by Armand de Vignerot du Plessis, Duke of Richelieu and Marshal of France to a Lady Le Gonidec de Tressan.

Later it was owned by the Alès family who finally ceded it to the government in 1958. Already having been classified as a historical monument in 1930 it was then turned into a museum.

At present La Roche-Jagu Castle can be visited for a fee. Sadly enough the last visitor tour had just left, so I was only able to freely visit the gardens and the ground floor.

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