——. A History of the Expedition to Jerusalem 1095–1127, ed. Harold S.Fink, trans. Frances
R.Ryan. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 1969.
FOUGÈRES
. Located on an escarpment overlooking the Nançon River and strategic crossroads,
Fougères (Île-et-Vilaine), an ancient town on the borders of Brittany, has preserved an
imposing feudal castle that dates from the 11th century. The castle occupies a slightly
lower position than the city and is built almost entirely of schist and granite. The
escarpment provides a natural protection for the castle. Additionally, ponds and moats,
with levered bridges, surround the fortress; these once provided water to turn the mill,
whose wheels can still be seen. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the walls of the bastion
measured nearly 20 feet in height, with the towers stretching to nearly 40 feet. Had the
castle been provided with palisades, the summit would have been crenellated. Several
towers were built, and their entrances barricaded by portcullises and mobile panels. Of
those that originally flanked the principal wall, only the Tour du Cadran survives. The
keep was 66 feet in diameter, with excessively thick walls. Its exterior was octagonal, but
its interior was circular. Only portions of the foundations remain.
Fougères (Île-et-Vilaine), city walls.
Photograph courtesy of William W.
Kibler.
In the 14th century, the bastion was built up, two stories were added to the Tour des
Gobelins, and other towers were constructed. One of the new towers, Mélusine, housed
an underground dungeon and four hexagonal floors. Two square towers (66 feet by 66
feet), Surienne and Raoul, were added in the 15th century. Also during this period,
openings in walls were adapted or created to accommodate cannoniers and archers.
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