Lassay
The castle is thought to be twelfth century and is similar in many respects to White Castle
in Gwent as reconstructed by Hubert Burgh in the 1230s. Lassay
was repeatedly besieged in the 100 Years' War to
1417. Consequently it was dismantled in 1422
at the order of Charles VII (d.1461), but was rebuilt in 1458 by John
Vendome after he received royal permission to do so in 1457.
The castle consists of six 42' high D shaped towers (2 forming a
gatehouse) and 2 round ones, all set on a polygonal enclosure, all
having walls some 8' thick, except for the west gatetower which has
walls only 6' thick. Both round towers have circular vices in
their gorget walls as does the east gatehouse tower and the two western
D shaped towers. The entrance is protected by a rare elongated
horseshoe shaped barbican similar to the unelongated ones found at Goodrich, the Tower of London, Ramboulet and Carcassonne.
Why not join me here and at other French
castles? Information on this and other tours can be found at Scholarly
Sojourns.
Copyright©2019
Paul Martin Remfry