In this castle was born Gilles de Montmorency-Laval, known as Gilles de Rais, having inspired the myth of Barbe Bleue. The House of Rais (or Retz) originally ruled over the region of the Marches of Brittany which marked the border between the Kingdom of France and the Duchy of Brittany and derived its immense wealth from the trade and taxation of goods moving between the two states. This region went from here to the Atlantic coast. As a result, the seigneury had several imposing castles including Tiffauges, Clisson, Machecoul, Pornic, and this one. By successive alliances, Gilles de Rais was lord of Brittany, Anjou, Poitou, Maine and Angoumois, which made him one of the most powerful lords in France. He joined the Hundred Years War against the English and became one of the main companions of Joan of Arc, before being promoted to Marshal of France on July 17, 1429, the day of the royal coronation of Charles VII in Reims. Having retired to his lands after the coronation of Reims, he was arrested in 1440 in his castle of Machecoul, and tried in Nantes for heresy, rape and murders of "one hundred and forty children, or more" ... He was executed by hanging with two of his servants convicted of murder. The story of the hanged man of Nantes is perhaps one of the influences of "La Barbe bleue", a tale by Charles Perrault, but the hypothesis is disputed. He is in any case one of the first serial killers and criminal pedophiles in history. Some historians (but their assumptions are disputed) attribute these crimes to his exercise of alchemy which may have required the use of young children's blood, others (and this is even more disputed) claim that it was all made up. to seize and establish the annexation of its domains to the kingdom of France. The main road, the D723, which passes in front of the castle is not very pleasant with vehicles traveling at full speed, it is better to access it by the small roads which cross it.
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