This is a nice town and a wonderful off the beaten path visit of Montfort L’Amaury. I like to update this older post, and hope you enjoy it as I. When I was in Versailles, I came often to his town and initially walking to the tower dungeon of Anne de Bretagne, and later much else including lunches. Montfort L’Amaury is in the Yvelines dept 78 of the ïle de France region , and in my belle France.
The tower dungeon of Anne-de-Bretagne is a 15C tower, built by Anne de Bretagne in Montfort-l’Amaury, perched on the feudal motte which dominates the village, the Anne de Bretagne tower is the only vestige of the old castle, This dungeon with an outdoor staircase serving each floor, was built on the site of the ruins of the old 12C castle, destroyed by the English during the Hundred Years War, restored by Anne-de-Bretagne, Duchess of Brittany and Countess of Montfort and benefactress, You have the old Castle ruins now only visible with a donjon tower built in the 12C call the tour d’Anne-de-Bretagne that was ordered built by herself. An irregular octagonal staircase on three levels, the remains of a tower with a width of about 20 meters, walls 2-3 meters thick and an approximate height of 18 meters.Celebrated by Victor Hugo in 1825 in his Ode aux Ruines (Ruins),
As in addition : The town of Montfort L’Amaury still preserves the ruins of the old ramparts which surrounded the village from the second half of the 11C. Built by Hugues Bardoul, captain of the castle, the wall was six meters high and then had four doors. Dismantled during the English invasions, the fortifications will be rebuilt after the wars of religion, when Charles IX promises to endow Montfort with his first charter.
The bit of history I like here is like this :
When Robert the Pious, son of Hugues Capet, received the Pays d’Yvelines as a prerogative, he decided to build here, on a motte 185 meters above sea level, a defensive fortress which he entrusted to Guillaume de Hainaut, the latter then becoming the first Lord of Montfort. Several of his descendants bearing the first name of Amaury, the city will later take the name of Montfort-l’Amaury. The family of the lords of Montfort will become famous in history through the figure of Simon IV de Montfort, who was the main figure in the crusade against the Albigensians (cathars) at the beginning of the 13C. In 1292, the County of Montfort was attached to the Duchy of Brittany through the marriage of Yolande de Montfort and Arthur II of Brittany. This is how the Duchess Anne of Brittany, who also had the title of Countess of Montfort, she stayed five years in Montfort-L’Amaury, she will embellish the capital of her county; we also owe her the evolution of the Saint-Pierre Church (see post), which she undertook to remodel to give it a more modern architecture and a better layout. Nevertheless, this situation ended for Montfort l’Amaury when Bretagne/Brittany was annexed to the French crown in 1532, as a result of Anne of Brittany’s marriage to Charles VIII and then Louis XII. So Duchess once, Queen twice !
The city of Montfort L’Amaury on the tour Anne de Bretagne : https://www.montfortlamaury.fr/culture-tourisme/sites-et-monuments/la-tour-danne-de-bretagne-et-le-chateau/
There you go folks, a bit of culture away in a small quant town in my beloved Yvelines, nearer my dear Versailles. Its a nice detour to see what could be call an off the beaten path visit in my belle France. The Tower Dungeon of Anne of Brittany is very nice to see, just across from the house museum of Maurice Ravel (see post).
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 