The castles of the fairy Melusine
6 châteaux listed
6 castles that legend links to the fairy Melusine, from Poitou to the Dauphiné, with admission prices and opening seasons.
In 1393 Jean d’Arras wrote, for Duke John of Berry, the romance of Melusine, or the noble history of Lusignan. The fairy marries Raymondin on condition that he never tries to see her on a Saturday; she builds castles for him, Lusignan first. When he catches sight of her, half woman, half serpent, she flies away through a window of the fortress.
Of the castle of Lusignan, in Poitou, dismantled on the king’s orders in 1586, only remains survive in a public promenade; the Melusine tower stood until 1622. About twelve kilometres to the north, Montreuil-Bonnin is also tied to the legend. In the Dauphiné, the lords of Sassenage claimed descent from the fairy, and the pediment of their château depicts her.
Elsewhere the fairy gave her name to a tower: at Fougères, the Melusine tower was Victor Hugo’s model for the Tourgue in Ninety-Three; at Gratot, in the Cotentin, it is the octagonal 15th-century tower. In the Ardennes, legend says she built the castle of Hierges in a single night.
This page lists all 6, with the adult admission price where we know it, the opening season and a map.
The places, one by one
From the best known to the most discreet. Prices are for one adult; the season comes from the opening periods each place publishes.
Château de Lusignan (Lusignan Castle)
Lusignan, Vienne
The legendary cradle of Melusine and the Lusignan family; dismantled in 1586, it keeps only remains in a freely accessible promenade.
Season not published
Château de Sassenage (Sassenage Castle)
Sassenage, Isère
The pediment depicts the fairy, from whom the Sassenage family claimed descent; the château calls itself “Melusine’s castle” and runs storytelling tours.
Adult admission: €10Open July to August
Castle of Fougères
Fougères, Ille-et-Vilaine
Its Melusine tower was the model for Victor Hugo’s Tourgue in Ninety-Three.
Adult admission: €12Season not published
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Château de Montreuil-Bonnin (Montreuil-Bonnin Castle)
Boivre-la-Vallée, Vienne
An early 13th-century fortress tied by legend to the fairy Melusine, under restoration since 2012.
Open all year
Château de Gratot (Gratot Castle)
Gratot, Manche
Its octagonal 15th-century tower is called the Melusine tower in its French heritage record, and the Fairy’s tower on site.
Adult admission: €5Open all year
Château de Hierges (Hierges Castle)
Hierges, Ardennes
Local legend says the fairy Melusine built the castle in a single night; the ruins are privately owned.
Season not published
The map
The 6 places on this page. Tap a point to open its page.
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is the fairy Melusine’s castle?
- At Lusignan, in the Vienne department, according to Jean d’Arras’s romance of 1393. The castle was dismantled in 1586 and its last tower, the Melusine tower, disappeared in 1622; the site is now a public promenade.
- Melusine castles: which ones are open all year?
- 2 are listed as open all year: Château de Montreuil-Bonnin and Château de Gratot. The others open in season, and winter hours are often shorter.
- Melusine castles: how much is admission?
- Across the 3 places whose prices we know, adult admission ranges from €5 to €12.