Vauban makes his mark

When King Louis XIV came to power, Brittany’s situation changed considerably: everything became centralized and Brittany no longer had freedom in its economic politics. Not only did the taxes go up, but there was increased tension between France and England, to the point where any trade between the two countries was blocked.

Morlaix therefore lost its main trading partner, and its economy suffered as a result.Given the endless conflict, Brittany was in an ideal strategic position to defend France from the English, and King Louis XIV wanted to make the most of it. He sent his most valued military architect, Vauban, to modernize all the fortifications along the Breton coast - including Taureau.

The fortress grows… for 45 years

The heavy financial burden of maintaining the Château du Taureau was finally taken off the locals and the fort was completely rebuilt, except for the French Tower. The aim was to build a bigger and more robust fortress: this work took around 45 years. Most of the granite for this construction came from the neighbouring island of Callot, and the shape was dictated by the rectangular shape of the original rock. It was 60 metres long, 12 metres wide and 12 metres tall, with a total surface area of 1450m². There were 11 casemates (each able to house a cannon), living quarters for soldiers and officers, two dungeons, a dining area and kitchen, a chapel and the latrines. As for drinking water, this came from a rainwater barrel.

Illustration : Service Historique de la Défense