Champtoceaux

Champtoceaux ( of Castrum Sellense in Latin ) is a common French, located in the department of Maine-et-Loire and the area Pays of the Loire. The inhabitants are the castrocelsiens.

Geography

Located on southern bank of the the Loire, Champtoceaux is to about fifty kilometers downstream from Angers and to about thirty kilometers upstream of Nantes. This commune is close to the towns of Oudon (on other side of the Loire), of the Game preserve, Drain and Saint-Saver-with-Landemont.

It is a small village which overhangs the Loire of several tens of meters.

History

Champtoceaux, in the past Châteauceaux, were the one of most important medieval fortresses, avant-garde of the country of France and the Anjou during the Guerre One hundred Year old, proudly drawn up on the slope, vis-a-vis the duchy of Brittany, combined of England. Champtoceaux formerly formed part of the steps of Brittany-Anjou and of évêché of Nantes under the Ancien Mode. A rocky outcrop dominates the Loire of 70 meters: all here is joined together to ensure military defense and trade flow.

Prehistory and Antiquity

The existence of Champtoceaux or Châteauceaux goes back to the Stone Age, as testify some the cut and polished stones found in the ground. A Oppidum of 8 hectares, " Castrum Sellense" , is established there, mentioned among the 25 principal Castra de Gaulle by Gregoire de Tours. In bottom, the port, " Portus selus" ensure the transport of the goods.

The Middle Ages

Towards 560, the duke Austrapius is crowned bishop with Châteauceaux, which thus becomes the seat of one évêché detached from the Diocèse of Poitiers in a transitory way.

At the 8th century, the king Pip the Brief joined there his Bertrade wife for the Easter and receives the ambassadors of Almanzor, caliph of Baghdad. Châteauceaux which, until in 942, depended on the Poitou, passes between the hands of Alain Barbetorte, duke of Brittany; with its death, his wife remarie with the count of Anjou and Champtoceaux becomes the stake of political competitions. Nevertheless, the parish remains dependant on the Diocèse of Nantes. In 988, Foulque Nerra, count d' Anjou authorize the construction of the fortress of Châteauceaux, perhaps most formidable on the Loire, and restore the péage.
Covering 30 hectares, entirely surrounded by ramparts, it is composed of 3 parts: the city which one still sees the two control towers and the Midsummer's Day priory; bayle or the Farmyard to place the stables, the weaponry… and the strong Castle with its drawbridge with double leaf, its two keeps, the home seigneurial, the Saint-Pierre vault, the well, the arched cellar.

Fortress in extreme cases of the steps of Anjou and Brittany, between the French anvil and the Breton hammer , Châteauceaux is besieged:

in 1141 by Geoffroy Plantagenêt, count d' Anjou,
in 1173 by Henri II Plantagenêt, king d' Angleterre,
in 1224 by Pierre Mauclerc, duke of Brittany. The king of France Louis VIII, offers the territory of Remaudière, parish dependant on the baronnie of Champtoceaux in Anjou, in reward with Pierre Mauclerc, duke of Brittany;
in 1230 and 1234 by holy Louis, king de France, who resides at it twice, accompanied by his/her mother, Blanche of Castille and its young wife Marguerite of Provence;
in 1341 by the duke of Normandy, future Jean the Good;
in 1420 finally, last attack and destruction of Châteauceaux.

The War of succession of Brittany opposed 1341 to 1365 the Penthièvre and the Monfort which disputed the ducal crown. After the Battle of Auray and the Treated of Guérande (1365), Jean de Monfort is recognized like only duke légitime.
Having for goal recovery of the duchy of Brittany for his/her Olivier son, in 1420, the widow of Jean de Penthièvre, Marguerite de Clisson, lady of Châteauceaux, attracts the duke Jean V of Montfort in an ambush. This last is made prisoner then sequestered in the keep of the castle. Released by the English combined with Breton, the duke orders d'" to level all until full terre" with prohibition to rebuild inside the enclosure. The inhabitants have three days to give up. It takes 10 years of taxes imposed on Nantes to destroy the beautiful castle. More extremely than the demolition of the Bastille, Jean V wanted that one tears off until in their foundations, the walls of his prison.

The town of Champtoceaux is thus a " déplacée" city;.

End of the Middle Ages to the war of the Vendée

Châteauceaux then does not play any more any political role. A borough was rebuilt with the doors of the old city. The seigniory passes to the hands Grand Cop which tests without success, to attach it to the county of Nantes. At the time of the Revolution, two thirds of the men take share to the Guerre of the Vendée under the orders of Bonchamps; in 1794 the population undergoes three passages of the infernal Colonnes, 193 people perish, the church and the dwellings are burnt.

XIXe in XXIe centuries

At the XIXe century, the navy is flourishing and the Hamelin Port, become Patache, employs 150 bateliers.
Flour-milling, with its 11 windmills, employs 65 people. To died of the last of the Cop, in 1830, the city is bequeathed to the duke of Aumale, fourth wire of Louis-Philippe. The winner of Abd El-Kader comes to visit his city in boat.

The ruins of the strong castle are now the goal of an evocative walk of its medieval past. This imposing site is in the course of installation. The hung mill, with its two ogival arches, takes care on the Loire.

Champtoceaux enorgueillit of its site classified, Champalud, superb panorama on the Loire, prolonged by the park of the Cedar plantation and the Casting of Luce.

Transport

Individual: The village is served by RN23 (until Oudon) and the A11 (until Ancenis) and the tourist road of the vineyard (Divatte).

Collective:

Twinnings

Administration

Demography

Economy

Companies and head offices:

Insudiet
LTC

Places and monuments

Champalud
the Cedar plantation
the Casting of Luce
the Port of the Mill (in the past " The Bottom of Moulin"), site of a mill hung on the Loire
ruins of the citadel

The strong castle of Brelaudière

The strong castle of Brelaudière, on the grounds of Brelaudière, given by Saint-Louis to a noble family of Anjou, which made there set up the strong castle in XIIIe century, Joachim of Bellay remained there. The castle belongs, until the Revolution, with the same family, Tounus of Gonnets, lords of Brelaudière with Champtoceaux and Herbaudière with Villedieu-la-Blouère. It becomes a general headquarter of Vendean during the Guerres of the Vendée. It is burned and, partly, is destroyed by the infernal Colonnes in 1793. It then is confiscated, then sold in 1794. In 1817, it is returned to the same family. Since, it belonged to Doctor Roy, to mayor of Champtoceaux in the middle of the XIXe century; then with his/her daughter the countess Above, like with her daughter Mrs. Joseph Écomard, of Holy-Pazanne. It always belongs to the family, and Helene Courtois of Beaupréau is the current owner.

Personalities related to the commune

Jean III, Duke of Brittany, was born in Champtoceaux in 1286.
Hippolyte Maindron, sculptor, was born in Champtoceaux in 1801.

See too

Common of Maine-et-Loire

External bonds

the official site of Champtoceaux
Champtoceaux on the site of the national geographical Institute
Champtoceaux on the site of INSEE
Champtoceaux on the site of Quid
Localization of Champtoceaux on a chart of France and communes bordering
Plane on Champtoceaux on Mapquest

Sources

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