PORT-LOUIS CITADEL

The citadel of Port-Louis in Morbihan

Made up of a granite spur, the Port-Louis peninsula lies on sandy land on the ocean side and muddy land on the harbor side. Access by sea is perilous at high tide because of the many submerged rocks, and difficult at low tide because of the silt in which you can easily get stuck. This provides ample justification for the construction of a citadel on this site to guard the entrance to the river Blavet.

A foreign citadel

During the Wars of Religion, Blavet, the town’s first name, was taken from the Huguenots by the Duke of Mercoeur, who allied himself with Catholic Spain. The town was then occupied by the Spaniards, who built the citadel they named “ Fuerte del Aguila”.

In 1618, the town was renamed Port-louis in honor of King Louis XIII, who ordered work to turn it into a royal fortified town to protect the Lorient roadstead.

Despite its resemblance to citadels built by Vauban, the Port Louis citadel owes its arsenal and ball park to Vauban.

The Citadel Museum

The citadel houses two museums:

– The East India Company Museum

– The Musée National de la Marine is dedicated to sea rescue. The daily lives of seafarers, who risked their lives to save those of others, are shown through a collection of antique objects, ship models and audio and video testimonials. The second part takes you on a tour of the Far East’s maritime routes, and finally to underwater archaeology, with objects recovered during the excavation of the Mauritius sunk in the China Sea. In this respect, a substantial porcelain collection is presented to the public.

For further information:

In addition to the classic tour, the citadel has set up an “unusual tour” where you can visit every nook and cranny of the ramparts.

The unusual tours take place on the following dates:

April Thursdays and Fridays at 3pm
Tuesdays and Fridays in May at 3 p.m.
Every day in July and August at 2.30pm and 4pm (except July 14th)
Thursdays and Fridays in September/October at 3 p.m.
Friday, November¹ at 3 p.m.

For all other visits, the museum is open from May to August, from 10am to 6.30pm.

Last but not least, the citadel is offering an exclusive event this year: European Sustainable Development Week. From May 30 to June 5, the museum offers new tours on the theme of the sea and its protection.

Listed as a historic monument since 1948, the citadel is part of France’s heritage and a must-see in Brittany.

Book your mobile home in Ploemel now to enjoy beautiful visits in Morbihan

Also to be discovered in the vicinity of Camping Saint Laurent near Carnac

Things to do around Camping Saint Laurent

For your next stay in the region, discover camping near Carnac and mobile home rental near Carnac.