Behind the walls of this tourist castle nestled in Vendée lies a terrible secret…
France is full of architectural treasures that have fueled many legends, tales and myths spanning the centuries. Among these jewels of French history, some castles are known to shelter terrible secrets, which seduce travelers from all over the world. Did you know that in the heart of Vendée, between Nantes and Cholet, the castle of Tiffauges, a true medieval attraction in the west of France, was the residence of the one called the “first serial killer in the history” of France?
We enter this large ruined fortress firmly attached to a rocky spur by an impressive massive square tower. An impressive coat of arms, a black sable cross on a gold background and gold fleurs-de-lis on an azure background, presents the man who was the master of the place in 1422, but also the author of terrible activities: Gilles de Rais, Marshal of France and companion in arms of Joan of Arc, who was condemned in 1440 to hanging and burning at the stake for heresy, witchcraft, alchemy and the murders of a hundred small children whose bodies disappeared in the moat. It is said that this historical figure inspired the writer Charles Perrault to create the terrifying Bluebeard in his Tales of my mother goose in 1697, and the castle surfs on the legend more than on the history of the real bloodthirsty baron who hides behind it: “Château de Tiffauges, the castle of Bluebeard”, is indicated on the sign at the entrance.
The dark side of the honorable Gilles de Rais began upon his return from war. A compulsive spender, he surrounded himself with alchemists in order to create the mysterious philosopher’s stone to transform metals into gold. Very credulous, mystical preachers opened the doors of black magic to him. He kidnapped the children of the castle and inflicted all kinds of abuse on them before putting them to death. Long unpunished, the cruel and barbaric lord attracted the wrath of the Duke of Brittany and it was at this moment that the tongues of his relatives loosened and lifted the veil on crimes of unspeakable atrocity.
Although the Lord of Tiffauges is still very much present in his old home, the murders he committed there are never directly mentioned. A voice, freely inspired by Perrault’s tale, tells the story of the castle in a film made in 3D, seen through the eyes of a child who lets himself be locked in the castle, with a few anecdotes about the baron’s penchant for alchemy, without going any further. Here, it is not a question of frightening the young audience, but rather of amaze them with the life of the court or even the layouts of the castle wanted by the baron such as the creation of the lodgings and the redesign of the keep.
It must be said that the Château de Tiffauges literally knows how to catapult families into life in the Middle Ages, through numerous shows and activities. As soon as you enter, small booklets and game books for children are distributed free of charge. The castle has an impressive medieval artillery and the visitor is invited, by speakers who have a lot of humor, to shoot with a bow or crossbow, to handle weapons and other war machines that launch projectiles over great distances. The icing on the cake is that life-size combats, with lances and on horseback, are carried out by seasonal workers. Nothing to be afraid of, finally, before entering this castle that looks like Puy du Fou, located barely 20 minutes away!