#France - Le Fort de Guesclin

The Fort du Guesclin is built on an islet, the island of Guesclin accessible at low tide, in Saint - Coulomb in Ille - et - Vilaine ( Brittany ), between Saint - Malo and Cancale . The first building was built in 1026 by a constable of Guesclin, an imposing fortified castle. In 1207 John the Landless, king of England, had the fort occupied until Juhel III of Mayenne drove the English out. The du Guesclin, left the fort about 1259 The fort, dismantled since, was bought in 1500 by William of Chateaubriant and sold in 1589 to the House of Rieux . Finally, from 1757 to 1759, the old building was demolished and Vauban built a fort comprising a barracks with a powder magazine and gun platforms to protect the coast from the English.
Having lost its military utility in 1826 , the fort was sold to individuals at auction, and then turned into a holiday residence by the civilian inhabitants who superimposed two bodies of house to the garrison forming the current building. In 1942 , during the establishment of the Atlantic Wall , the premises were occupied by the German army, which reorganized the old loopholes and installed an anti-aircraft gun there . After the landings in 1944 , the fort returned to civilian hands, first in the possession of the Mayor of Saint Servan who then sold it in 1959 to the singer Léo Ferré who lived there until 1968 , composing many songs there.
The fort was bought out in 1996 by the Porcher family, who restored the building and has since maintained this exceptional residence.