Josselin, a favourite haunt of ours.
The castle is pretty impressive and parts of it are stilled lived in today.
- Josselin castle
Josselin is a very very old town and masses of history surround this medieval town. St Meriadek is said to have founded a chapel here during the 4th century. Much later Josselin became a stronghold of the House of Rohan.
An alternative explanation for the location of the chapel concerns a labourer who in 808 discovered a wooden statue in the brambles which enabled his hitherto blind daughter to see. A chapel was constructed on the site of this miracle which subsequently grew into a church (parts of which date back to the twelfth century).
In 1351, during the Breton War of Succession (part of the Hundred Years' War), two groups of approximately 30 English knights (led by Robert Bramborough) and Franco-Breton knights (commanded by Jean de Beaumanoir captain of Josselin) staged an arranged combat at a spot halfway between the Chateau de Josselin and Ploërmel. The Franco-Breton side eventually won after killing or capturing the English force, including Bramborough.
- Josselin medieaval festival
Every year during August there is a medieval fete at Josselin. All cars are removed from the town centre and it is transformed back to how it would have been hundreds of years ago. Knights on horseback joust, there are jugglers, actors, peasants, women in all their finery. It is a great spectacle.
Click on the video below to get a taste of Josselin as it once was...
Brittany is jammed full of medieval history.. for more see http://www.frenchgites.com/Tourism%20Brittany%20Chateaux%20castles.htm
