Duchess Anne’s House

Here you can catch sight of the house, known as Duchess Anne’s! One can recognise it easily thanks to its distinctive spiky tower and time-worn balcony. Once a segment of the ancient fortress wall, it stands as the lone remnant of the Gaillard Castle, destroyed in 1573. It is said that Catherine de Medici used to stay here in 1570, and that the Duchess Anne of Brittany often stayed here when overseeing the construction of her own castle. This edifice is, a testament to Saint-Malo’s illustrious past, and of course is classified as Historical Monument. You regularly hear the name of Anne of Brittany, but what do you know about her aside from the fact that she was twice crowned Queen of France? I grant you it’s quite remarkable already, but let’s dive in to her story. Born in 1477 within the Castle of the Dukes of Brittany in Nantes, she was the daughter of Duke Francis II ,and Margaret of Foix, princess of Navarre. Her father, seeking to maintain the independence of his duchy in the face of the French threat, tried to secure his position, by promising her hand to numerous European princes. Comes the day where her father’s army is defeated by the French. The treaty signed thereafter, stipulated, among other things, that Duchess Anne, could only marry with the King’s consent. Yet, in defiance, she wed Maximilian I of Habsburg, heir to the Holy Roman Empire, in 1490. This act sparked outrage and of course violated the treaty. Rennes, where she resided then, quickly found itself besieged. After two months of siege, the city surrendered, and Anne was forced to marry Charles VIII, to ease tensions and ensure the peace in her duchy. This is how, at a mere 15 years old, she ascended to the throne as Queen of France. She birthed several boys, alas all died at a young age. In addition, the early passing of the King left her widowed with no heir, at the age of 21. She reverts back to being of the Duchess of Brittany but her marriage contract to Charles VIII was clear: if the king were to die without offspring, she would have to marry his successor.  This happens in 1499, when she marries the new King of France, Louis XII. This time, however, she is able to negotiate the terms of her marriage. It is clear to her that there’s no question of losing Brittany again. She is once again Queen of France while remaining Duchess of Brittany. Furthermore, she plans that upon her death, the duchy will pass to her second son and not to the eldest, who is tied to the destiny of France, thus manifesting her desire for a free and independent Brittany. Upon her death in 1514, Anne handed over the duchy to her daughter, Claude of France who will also marry a King, François 1er.
Here’s the story of the life, marriages, and struggles of Duchess Anne, who became one of the most famous female historical figures in France. If you are keen to know how the story of Brittany ends and understand how it ultimately became French, you should know that Queen Claude didn’t have the same backbone as her mother, nor the same unwavering attachment to her ancestors’ land. On her deathbed, she agrees to pass the duchy to her first son instead of her second, as her mother had wished. Hence Brittany finds itself governed by a representative of the king. If the nobility lost privileges, the duchy knows that the future belongs to strong and united states. In 1532, the Edict of the Union of Nantes is signed. The fleur-de-lis replaces the ermine, and Brittany officially becomes a province of the kingdom of France. So, that’s the historical interlude. Continue down Rue, de la Corne de Fer to reach our next point of interest located at Place de la Poissonnerie.