Hennebont

Hennebont stands on the River Blavet, where walls and gates protected a crossing upstream from the Breton coast. Its harbour and river gave the town access to the sea, while its fortifications guarded the road through southern Brittany. In 1342, during the Breton War of Succession, Joan of Flanders defended Hennebont for the Montfort cause while her husband was imprisoned and Charles of Blois besieged it.

The town faced siege again during the Wars of Religion. In 1590 forces loyal to Henry IV took Hennebont, and the Duke of Mercœur, leader of the Catholic League in Brittany, later besieged it with Spanish support. The contested stronghold remained important because it controlled a route between the ports and towns of the southern coast.