The citadel
In 1486, under the reign of the Duke of Brittany François IInd the fishermen hamlet became important. He ordered to build there a tower but he died without having carried out this plan.Blavet remained defenseless and it was burnt by the English in 1558.On June 11th 1590, during the wars of the League, people of the city gave help to the King of France against the Protestants. Duke of Mercœur asked Philippe IInd, King of Spain to help him, with troops and money. On August 25th 1590, his lieutenant, don Diego Brochero introduced a squadron in Blavet, and don Juan Del Aguila arrived with three thousand soldiers in October.
They carried out the projects of Duke François IInd in building a fort.
CONSTRUCTION : First period ( 1590-1598 )
Don Juan Del Aguila had a fortress built named after him : “Fuerte del Aguila”. Works began in December 1590, on the plans of Cristobal de Rojas, the King Philippe's engineer, who built Cadix fortifications and wrote a few books about the art of fortification. By April 1591, a drawing shows the Donjon and bastions III and IX.
The great ditch was dug as well as a breakwater-wall erected to protect the sea front, from which a chain went across to the beacon La Jument.
In March, 1598, Duke of Mercoeur submited to Henri IVth who asked Marshal de Brissac to invest the city of BLAVET. There was no fight because, on June 5th, the peace treaty was signed in Vervins. In July 1598, obeying King Henri IVth first desire, Brissac undertook the demolition of the “Fort de l'Aigle”. When this work of demolition was stopped, some time later, the front of the citadel which looks at the pass, and a part of the south wall along the ocean were completely ruined. Bastions III and IX and the keep and the chapel remained standing at the beginning of XVIIth century
Second period (1616-1622)
The royal lieutenant de Beauregard was in charge of the government of the citadel in 1610. Beauregard began to restore the place into its first state.In 1616, Cesar de Vendôme raised Brittany against the Regency and Marshal de Brissac was asked to strengthen Blavet and to rebuild the fort with the architect Jacques Corbineau who had Brissac's castle built under his plans.
