Familiarity with the history of the ancient French city of van, you can start with a visit to the archaeological Museum, located in Chateau-Gaillard. The castle was built in the XV century and is situated on the place Saint-Pierre.

The first settlement on the site of the present van appeared in the I century BC and was built by the Celts-the Venetian, who were then conquered by the Romans. In the past the military port in the Gulf of Morbihan, today van is a city with important economic value. In van preserved medieval buildings – cathedrals, fortifications (walls and gates), market square de Lys and other structures.

Castle of Gaillard notable for the fact that it has managed to retain its original layout. This is built of granite mansion was private property, then in the XV-XVI centuries, was known as the Palace of the Parliament of Brittany. In the XVII century the castle was the Chairman of the city court of Pierre de Ceren. Owner of the castle has survived his Cabinet, the walls of which are decorated with paintings and wooden panels depicting scenes from the life of Jesus Christ and the first Christian monks IV-V centuries, called fathers today." This room was called "the Cabinet of the desert fathers".

Museum of history and archaeology within the walls of Chateau-Gaillard in 2000 alone. In the collection of the Museum contains paintings, works of decorative and applied art, archaeological finds.

It is noteworthy that in France there is another castle of the same name. This château-Gaillard is located in Normandy, in the town of Les Andelys. The castle was built by Richard the Lionheart at the end of the XII century and repeatedly became the trophy of the British, then the French in the years of the hundred years war.