The discovery of a 640-year-old buried castle in France has stunned archaeologists.

(Dan Tri Newspaper) - A medieval castle dating back to the 14th century has been discovered beneath the grounds of a private residence in Vannes, Brittany (France), surprising archaeologists.

According to information from the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeology (INRAP), archaeologists have discovered the remains of Château de l'Hermine – a castle built by John IV, Duke of Brittany, around 1380.

This discovery was first recorded in 2021, during a survey of the courtyard of the private Hôtel Lagorce in the city of Vannes.

The castle, built around 1380, was discovered beneath a mansion in Vannes (Photo: People).

By 2023, prior to the planned construction of the Vannes Museum of Fine Arts, INRAP had conducted large-scale excavations to clarify the extent and structure of the ancient structure buried underground.

INRAP stated that the excavations revealed the duke's residence with its elaborately decorated facade, various functional spaces, and internal circulation system, including numerous staircases.

In particular, archaeologists were surprised to discover the entire ground floor of a massive structure, excavated to a depth of 1 meter, identified as the duke's main residence.

According to INRAP's description, a central corridor connected the North Gate, located on the city-facing facade, to another gate enclosed by two large towers, built against the city wall and noted on ancient maps. This area overlooked the moat surrounding the castle.

The underground structure is being excavated (Photo: People).

The ground floor of the structure measures approximately 42 meters in length and 17 meters in width, with thick walls reaching up to 5.6 meters in height. The structure is situated next to a moat, and to the east is a structure identified as a "square tower." From this, archaeologists speculate that the original castle may have been three, or even four stories high.

Besides the architecture, the excavation also yielded many well-preserved artifacts reflecting daily life in the castle during the 15th and 16th centuries. Researchers found coins, jewelry, cooking utensils such as pots, pans, and rotisserie spits, along with many wooden items such as bowls and pieces of barrels.

Many of the discovered artifacts are still intact (Photo: Emmanuelle Collado).

These artifacts have remained largely intact thanks to the humid environment underground.

INRAP noted that the condition and quality of the monuments show that Duke John IV assembled the best engineers and craftsmen of the time, contributing to the creation of a structure that was both sturdy and sophisticated, befitting a center of power in medieval Brittany.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/phat-hien-lau-dai-640-tuoi-bi-chon-vui-o-phap-khien-gioi-khao-co-sung-sot-20260208155122736.htm