Château de Champtocé

Champtocé-sur-Loire, France, France

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Château de Champtocé is a medieval fortress located in Champtocé-sur-Loire, overlooking the Loire River and the Romme valley.

First mentioned around the year 1000, it became one of the most important strongholds of Anjou on the right bank of the Loire, serving both as a defensive position against Brittany and as a key toll point for river traffic. The castle is best known as the birthplace and one-time residence of Gilles de Rais, a French nobleman and military commander who fought alongside Joan of Arc and became a Marshal of France.

Born there around 1405, he later sold the estate to the Duke of Brittany in 1437. Although much of the fortress fell into ruin over time, especially after the French Revolution, its remains still reflect its former importance. Today, the site is a protected historic monument, and ongoing preservation efforts help maintain the surviving tower, gate structures, and other remnants of this once-powerful medieval castle.