Guérande City Map Poster

About Guérande

The history of Guérande is marked by the rivalry between two families, the Lusignans and the Rieux. The town was founded in 939 by Alan II, Duke of Brittany, who gave it to his nephew Hoël Ier de Léon. In 1066 it passed into Norman hands with Alain Barbetorte (Alain "the Crooked"), a relative of William I Longsword. It was then ruled successively by Richard III and Robert Curthose; on their death without heirs it reverted to France under Philip Augustus in 1191. In 1204 Jean de Nantes took possession but he did not live there long as he died that same year at Bouvines where King Philip II Augustus defeated John Lackland's army led by King John's brother Prince Louis VIII of France during which battle Jean de Nantes' son Guy IV lost his life too fighting for Philippe Auguste against England .