Saillé — Decipher the Salt Smugglers' Code

Your investigation begins at the Porte Saint-Michel, built in the 15th century as the main entrance to the walled medieval city of Guérande. This 25-meter-high tower, adorned with machicolations and a defensive bretèche, is named in honor of Saint Michael, patron saint of Breton sailors. It is here, facing the 4 km ramparts that encircle the city, that the first clues are revealed, directly immersing you in the tense atmosphere of salt taxes and clandestine passages. You will need to observe the architectural details of this Historic Monument, classified since June 12, 1928, to understand the first stages of the smuggling network.

Continue your journey towards the Collégiale Saint-Aubin, a primitive Gothic church built between 1420 and 1489. Its 50-meter-high bell tower, completed in 1489, dominates Guérande. Classified as a Historic Monument on July 12, 1840, it houses the tomb of Jean V de Montfort, Duke of Brittany, born in 1389 and deceased in 1442, whose emissary you are. The stained-glass windows and crypts might conceal hidden messages, meeting places for smugglers, or discreet symbols left by salt workers oppressed by the gabelle. Brittany's history can be read in every stone of this edifice.

Your route then leads you to the Maison de la Gabelle, a 17th-century mansion, listed as a Historic Monument on December 21, 1984. Its 18-meter facade, with broken pediment dormers, housed the headquarters of the gabelle farm created by Colbert in 1680. It was here that salt taxes were collected, causing resentment among Guérande's salt workers and fueling smuggling. You will need to decipher virtual registers and augmented reality documents to identify accomplices and the secret routes taken by fraudsters to escape royal tax collectors.

Walking along the Rue du Guesclin, a medieval cobbled street named after Bertrand Du Guesclin (1320-1380), you connect the Porte Saint-Michel to the Place du Pilori. This 350-meter artery, lined with classified 15th-century half-timbered houses, was the old street of salt merchants. You will find marks left by smugglers, messages engraved in the woodwork, or symbols hidden on the facades. The Porte de Saillé, a fortified gate from the 14th century restored in the 15th century and classified as a Historic Monument in 1928, with its 4-meter-wide opening in the ramparts, was a strategic crossing point for smuggled salt, named after the salt workers' (paludiers) quarter.

Your investigation culminates in the Place du Pilori, the central medieval square of the Saint-Aubin district. This was the former place of justice where salt smugglers were punished, the original 15th-century pillory having been destroyed during the Revolution. This 1500 m² area, surrounded by 15th-16th century timber-framed houses, is the convergence point for all the information you have collected. The Marais Salants de Guérande, the true economic heart of the region, are the source of all covetousness. You will have deciphered the smugglers' code and understood the stakes of the salt trade that shaped the identity of Guérande, a City of Art and History, and of Brittany.