Brissac Castle is located in the French department of Maine-et-Loire, 15 kilometers from the city of Angers. The castle was built in the XI century Black Fulk, Count of Anjou.

In the XIII century, after the victory over the English castle passed to the King of France Philip II Augustus, who gave it to his Seneschal Guillaume de Rosu. In 1435, the castle Brissac passed to Pierre de Breze, rich minister of King Charles VII, in 1455 was completed reconstruction of the castle. The next owner of the castle - the son of Pierre, Jacques de Breze - known for having stabbed his unfaithful wife here - illegitimate daughter of the king of Agnes Sorel, Charlotte de Valois. It was March 1, 1462, and legend has it that to this day in a rainy night the spirit of this woman appears in a castle in the form of a lady in white.

In 1502, the castle becomes Brissak Rene de Cossio, which King Francis I appoint as his deputy in the provinces of Maine and Anjou. A descendant of Rene - Charles de Kosse during the Huguenot wars in France took the side of the Catholic League, and because of its castle was besieged by the troops of King Henry IV. But in 1594 Charles to the side of the King, was appointed Marshal of France, and in 1606 it was returned to the castle Brissac, has undergone, however, considerable damage. In 1611, Charles received the title of Duke of Brissac.

Restoration of the castle Brissac engaged architect Charles Corbineau. After restoration works the castle became the highest castle in France, consisting of eight floors and 200 rooms. Facade of the castle is in the Baroque style of the XVII century.

In August 1620 the castle served as Brissac "neutral territory" to meet warring Queen Mother Marie de Medici and Louis XIII. They signed a truce, which was noted by a three-day festivals, but the world did not last long, and soon Marie de Medici was again sent into exile.

Duc de Brissac possessed its castle before the start of the French Revolution. In 1792, in the castle housed the troops of the revolutionaries, who then his own and looted. The castle lay in ruins until 1844, when the surviving heirs of the de Brissac castle was returned to his property and began restoration work.

In 1890, at the castle, which is controlled by the granddaughter of a wealthy French economist Say, it was founded theater. It was renovated in 1983 and is now an annual festival held here.

In XX century the owners of the castle offered to arrange a museum, and in 1939-1940 in the castle were the first exhibits. The furniture was imported from Versailles, paintings and decorative art objects - from a variety of museums, including those from the Elysee Palace. The castle has been moved more Brissak treasury of the Cathedral of Angers. The creation of the museum took part as a variety of culture and art in France, including André Lhote, Paul Valery and others.

In 1944, the castle was attacked by five German soldiers who killed a local gardener. About this in his memoirs wrote the previous owner of the castle - the Duke of Simon de Brissac.

Today the castle belongs to all as the Duc de Brissac. The castle is held annually Christmas markets Easter "hunting" for chocolate eggs, flower festivals and competitions balloon.