The Counts of Anjou built the original castle in the 11th century, and the infobox names Foulques Nerra. Pierre de Brézé rebuilt it in the 15th century. René de Cossé acquired it in the reign of Francis I, and Henry of Navarre took it in 1589 during the Wars of Religion and severely damaged it. It was rebuilt in 1611 after Charles II de Cossé sided with Henry. The article names no architect, and calls the style medieval and Renaissance, with a 17th-century Baroque facade.
It has seven stories and is described as the tallest château in France. The French Revolution ransacked it in 1792, and restoration began in 1844.
The Duke of Brissac of the Cossé family still owns it. It offers tours and guest rooms, and a gilded theater hosts an annual festival. It is a monument historique.
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