one of the first castles in France to be classified as a monument historique (historic monument) and restored from 1875 under the direction of the architect Darcy. Placed in the public domain, the castle was furnished with a small museum, in 1876, inspired by Arthur de la Borderie. Paradoxically, he destroyed the collégiale de la Madeleine (collegiate church of the Madeleine) in the castle courtyard while he was in charge of conservation for the town. A boys' school was built in its place. Today, the Vitré town hall stands inside the curtain wall, in a building reconstructed in 1912 following the plans of the medieval residence. The Place du Château, outside the castle, used to be the castle forecourt where stables and outbuildings were. It is now a car park that will be revamped in 2007 to properly show off one of the most imposing castles in France. Click on thumbnail to enlarge See also Vitré, Ille-et-Vilaine List of castles in France References External links Museum information Castles in Brittany Monuments historiques of Ille-et-Vilaine Museums in Ille-et-Vilaine Local museums in France Barony of Vitré Vitré, Ille-et-Vilaine