- Castle of the Dukes of Brittany

The weakest point in the fortress, the gateway originally had a portcullis and two doors protected by two drawbridges: a large one for wagons and horsemen and a smaller one for pedestrians. The fixed wooden bridge leading to the two drawbridges was replaced in 1770 by a stone bridge.

After decades of disuse, this drawbridge, built in the 15th century and altered during the 18th, has now been restored and its lift mechanism repaired.

Directed by Pascal Prunet, chief architect of the Historical Monuments authority, the restoration required considerable historical research. The main work was done by Ateliers Perrault Frères from Saint-Laurent-de-la-Plaine, specialist carpenters and joiners; Couliou, another Maine-et-Loire company, did the ironwork and Lefèvre repaired the stonework.

In the lower part, the bridge deck acts as the floor. The upper part contains the two arms of the beam to which chains are attached. Counterweights are fitted behind, inside the bridge, and act as ballast when the bridge is raised. The difficulty of this type of project lies in positioning all the elements, so that once raised and vertical, they fit perfectly into the place provided for the deck in the stonework.

The old bridge was dismantled. Any old timber which could be salvaged was reused and completed by some new oak sections, seasoned for several decades. The load-bearing beams have been designed so that the bridge deck, with metal joists below, can support the weight of heavy vehicles and comply with current safety standards.

This reconstruction was a heritage restoration project and the mechanism will only be used very rarely.