SPECTRALWhat happened here
The first castle here was a fortress built in the 11th century by the Counts of Anjou. In the 15th century it belonged to Jacques de Brézé, whose wife Charlotte was a daughter of King Charles VII and his famous mistress Agnès Sorel.
On the night of 31 May 1477, Jacques found Charlotte with a lover, Pierre de Lavergne, and killed them both. He was condemned, ordered to pay a crushing fine and lost the castle, which later passed to the Cossé family. They rebuilt it in grand style in the early 1600s — work that stopped with the builder's death in 1621, leaving the château unfinished.
The legends
Charlotte is said to walk as the Dame Verte, the Green Lady, named for the green dress in which she appears. She is seen in the chapel tower, and those who claim to have seen her face describe empty eye sockets where her eyes should be.
Her moans are said to be heard in the early hours of the morning, and she is reported moving through the upper rooms of the tower where she died.
Fact or legend?
The murder is real history: the killings, the trial and the loss of the castle are all recorded. The ghost belongs to legend — though the family has never hidden her, and her story is told on their own tours of the château.
Visiting
Brissac is still lived in by the family and opens to visitors from spring to autumn for guided tours, with its own wine cellar and gardens. Check the château's website for opening days.
