Fort La Latte, also called De La Roche Goyon castle, is a fortified castle located on the rocky tip of La Latte, near Cap Fréhel.
Legend has it that a first castle was built there in 937 by one of the oldest families of Brittany, the La Roche Goyons. The strategic site was most certainly chosen for its unobstructed view on the Channel, the Emerald Coast and the bay of Saint-Malo, its proximity to the trade routes linking Saint-Malo to the Channel Islands and the protection offered by the many surrounding cliffs, which prevented any invasion.
The current castle, built in the 1340s, was transformed according to the good fortune of the Goyons in the second half of the 14th century. The imposing dungeon dates from the years 1365-1370.
The castle resisted the assaults of Du Guesclin in 1379, then those of the English in 1490, when Brittany was about to be attached to France. It was not until 1597 that the castle gave in to its attackers, this time French: Jacques II de Goyon having sided with Henri IV the protestant king, the Catholic League looted and burned down the La Latte castle in retaliation. Only the dungeon resisted.
In ruins but particularly well located, the castle was transformed and fortified under Louis XIV between 1690 and 1715 to defend Saint-Malo. It served until the end of the First Empire, but was gradually abandoned due to its unsuitability for new military techniques, before being sold by the French State in 1892.
The second drawbridge provides access to a courtyard which houses a mansion, a dungeon, a cistern and a chapel. The water cistern was filled by rainwater and was supposed to serve the entire garrison.
The Cistern
The Chapel
The Chimène Fountain
The square of simples – A square of simple is a medieval garden where are cultivated plans known as simple or simple medicines, referring to remedies obtained with the help of a specific plant, as opposed to sophisticated preparations involving several ingredients
The Archers tower – It has four levels: the basement where food was stored, the ground and first floor where the archers were and the second floor which was the lookout area
The dungeon was equipped with battlements and several types of loopholes: crossbows for crossbow shooting and arrow slits which are simple and elongated slits for archery
The Dungeon
The upper room of the Dungeon
On the roof of the Dungeon
Bought by the Joüon des Longrais family, it has been restored since 1931 and open to visitors.
July 18, 2025
