Clisson

Clisson was destroyed in 1794 during the Vendee wars and rebuilt in a way no other French town was: the brothers Cacault and the sculptor Francois-Frederic Lemot had all travelled in Italy, and they reconstructed the town in Italianate style, with round Roman tiles, loggias, brick and campanile-like towers, so that a Loire town looks like Tuscany. The medieval castle above the Sevre remains a ruin and is open to walk through. Across the river, the Domaine de la Garenne Lemot is a landscaped park of temples, grottoes and a villa built to complete the illusion. The Hellfest music festival takes place here each summer.

What you actually see

• The Italianate town - Roman-tiled roofs, loggias and brick in a French town.
• The ruined castle - open walls and towers above the Sevre.
• Garenne Lemot - a landscaped park of temples, grottoes and a villa.
• The covered market - a large medieval timber halle in the centre.

When to go

April to October; the park is at its best in spring and autumn. Hellfest in June fills the town and surrounding accommodation entirely. Vineyards around produce Muscadet.

Honest expectations

The castle is a genuine ruin with uneven footing and limited interpretation. Hellfest week makes the town impossible unless you are attending. The Italianate effect is subtler than photographs suggest.

Nearby

Nantes lies northwest; the Muscadet vineyards surround the town.