Chateau de Breze is a small castle by European standards.
But beneath its humble foundation lies one of Europes largest underground fortress.
It was built by Arthus de Maille-Breze, the then lord of the castle, in the mid-16th century.
These are connected by more than 3 kilometers of tunnels.
He had the moat deepened to a staggering sixty feet.
The stone excavated from the moat construction was used for building the new castle.
The underground refugee is accessible from within the moat; the entrance tunnel being dug on the moat face.
In times of need, they would have quickly abandoned the castle above and retreated into their subterranean refugee.
