Green Lady of Château de Brissac

The Château de Brissac resides just south of Angers, in the Loire River Valley of France. The original castle was built in the 11th century. In the mid-15th century, Pierre de Brézé built a new medieval castle with towers, and in 1502, it was bought by René de Cossé, whose family became the Cossé-Brissac family. In the early 17th century, Charles II de Cossé, who became the first Duke of Brissac in 1611, began to tear down most of the medieval castle and to build a grand new one against it. The two medieval towers were left in place while the new building was under construction.

The duke intended to remove both medieval towers, but he died in 1621 before the new building was finished, and his son stopped the work, so the towers were left in place. Looking closely, you can see both towers resting against the Renaissance castle, with the rear portions of the towers cut away.

As Wesley tells the story ...

This noble castle is the tallest in France and exudes old-world charm, but one of its past residents has shocked more than one visitor ...

A double murder that occurred sometime in the 15th century within the walls of the castle has resulted in one of the more famous ghosts of the Château de Brissac, that of the la Dame Verte, or "Green Lady." The current residents, the Duke of Brissac and his family, have become accustomed to her roaming the rooms, but she has scared many guests. She is often seen in the tower room of the chapel wearing her green dress. What's terrifying, however, is her face. If she looks at you, you'll see that her face has gaping holes where her eyes and nose should be, resembling a corpse. As well as her sighting, her moans are often heard throughout the castle in the early hours.

- Wesley McDermott