Every evening as soon as night falls, the heritage of Vitré is sublimated by the light. The facades are adorned with scintillating "vitreography" and around the alleys, time bubbles in the form of spirals appear to transport you through the ages and the greatest Vitrean characters come to meet you.

Overseas Merchants

From the Château de Vitré via the promenade du Val and the ramparts, a new way of discovering the city is offered to you, more intimate.
Let yourself be told the story of Vitré in light through six evocative themes.

Your journey begins at Porte d'En Bas, place Saint-Yves.
Prepare to go back in time to the sumptuous days when Overseas Merchants enriched Vitré thanks to the hemp cloth trade. This period of glory left a lasting mark on the city, as evidenced by the rich mansions built by the merchants and their coats of arms affixed to the facades of Vitré.

The Barons

Follow the pictures that appear on the walls, they will lead you to the Vitré castle. In the XNUMXth century, the city enjoyed a strategic position at the gates of Brittany. Under your eyes, the latter sparkles with a thousand lights, more impressive than ever. Take a look at the castle moat to see the lights representing the arts and leisure activities at the court of the barons from Vitré. Continue your way to the Notre-Dame Street : you are expected by Baron Robert III…

Théodore Botrel

“How many times have I shuddered before this great dark castle where the nostalgic shadow of the baron still sighs »

Catholics and Protestants

A new time bubble illuminates the rue Saint-Louis: here you are in the religious sphere. THE'Notre-Dame Church, built from 1420 in a flamboyant Gothic style, is one of the most remarkable monuments of the city. From the XNUMXth century, a Protestant community settled in Vitré. The rue Saint-Louis marks the site of the old Protestant district of the city.

Explorers

In Vitré were born curious men and travelers. Among the most famous, Pierre-Olivier Malherbe was the first European to travel all around the world by land, between 1593 and 1608. Can you spot his silhouette in the Cour Saint-Louis?
Shortly after, in 1601, Francois Martin embarks in the direction of IndonesiaFollowed by Claude-Etienne in 1776 who left to study archeology in Egypt.

The Vitréais (country of Vitré)

Events Place du Marchix. In an angle, the "vitreography" of a spinner reminds us that the weaving and spinning of hemp canvas were the main commercial activities of Vitré.

In contrast, you will observe a chouan : it evokes the Revolution, a period when the country of Vitré was divided between support for the Republic and Chouannerie.

Artists and Travelers

Many artists, personalities and travelers have set foot on the cobblestones of Vitré. Among them, the Marquise of Sevigne who wrote her famous correspondence in the XNUMXth century a few kilometers away, at the Rochers-Sévigné castle. This famous letter-writer awaits you at Place de la République, go meet her! In the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries, Proust, Balzac, Hugo, Flaubert or even Mérimée and Nicolaï also came to be inspired and to admire Vitré. At the entrance of the Val promenade, you will notice the scintillating excerpt from a missive written by the latter in 1893:
« I did not want to leave Vitré without seeing the Val ... ».
Then continue your way on the Val promenade. The towers and ramparts come to life and you have many surprises in store ...

Can you spot the thirty or so window displays scattered throughout the city?

Practical : For a free visit, you can get the visitor's guide at the Tourist Office or download the " Vitré Lights ».