In the late 17th century, French author Charles Perrault published a book that would forever change how we view fairy tales and fantastical stories.
The book, Tales of Times Past, compiled stories that were popular in France at the time. Many remain widely popular today, such as Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Tom Thumb.
However, these stories were sanitized over the centuries to suit changing moral sensibilities and their growing association with children’s literature.
Yet one tale in the collection stands out for its cruelty and darkness—impossible to adapt for children without gutting the story entirely. It is the story of Bluebeard, in which a young bride discovers that her husband—a man who has murdered numerous previous wives—has been hiding their corpses in a secret room within his castle.
What makes the tale even more chilling is that it’s based on a real historical figure, a Marshal of France, no less. A man who rose to greatness and fell from grace, whose life now blurs the line between fact and legend. His name was Gilles de Rais.
Gilles de Rais: A National Hero
Gilles de Montmorency-Laval was born in the early 15th century in Brittany, France, to a noble family.
Tragedy struck early—he was orphaned at just eleven years old. After his father’s death, both Gilles and his younger brother René were adopted by their uncle Jean de Craon, whom Gilles would later blame for corrupting him.
Craon raised the boys as his own heirs, giving them a life of luxury—but also exposing them to drinking, debauchery, and vicious pastimes, which left a lasting mark on Gilles.
Like many noblemen of the time, Gilles pursued a military career, becoming a celebrated captain during the Hundred Years’ War and playing a key role in breaking the Siege of Orléans, fighting alongside a young Joan of Arc. By some accounts, the two formed a close and lasting bond.
Much has been speculated about Gilles’s feelings for Joan, but no official account exists. What is known is that her capture and execution devastated him, leading him to abandon his military career and withdraw from public life.
By the mid-1430s, Gilles had separated from his wife, Catherine de Thouars, and had withdrawn to Tiffauges Castle, a striking fortress near Clisson.
Today, the site attracts thousands of curious visitors who want to learn more about Gilles de Rais—but doing so means confronting a descent into madness that feels pulled from a horror film.
Orgies and Murders in Tiffauges Castle
Cut off from society, estranged from his family, and deserted by his allies in the Church and among the nobility, Gilles spent his final years squandering the family fortune.
According to legend, he hosted nightly orgies at Tiffauges Castle, where his servants indulged in depraved acts with young women from nearby villages. Gilles, however, seemed sexually disinterested in women.
Instead, his cruelty and macabre desires intensified. If sex held no appeal for him, torture and humiliation did—especially when the victims were young boys.
These final years marked a full descent into madness. Once a national hero, Gilles was now feared as a monster who abducted and murdered children across the region. Rumors spread like wildfire, and no one dared go near Tiffauges, where shadowy figures—believed to be sorcerers and necromancers—were often seen entering at night.
For years, Gilles carried out his sadistic rituals with impunity until an altercation in 1440 with a clergyman brought him into direct conflict with Jean V, Duke of Brittany.
After assaulting Father Jean Le Ferron and seizing Saint-Étienne-de-Mer-Morte Castle, Gilles violated the ecclesiastical protections the duke had put in place.
This time, the authorities acted. He was arrested in September 1440 at one of his other estates. Accusations included sodomy, heresy, and murder, with some claiming he had killed over 140 children, though estimates vary widely.
Tried both by secular authorities in Nantes and the ecclesiastical court, Gilles de Rais was found guilty and executed in October 1440. The man was gone — but the legend had only just begun.
A Story That Still Haunts Tiffauges
The dark tale of Gilles de Rais and his sadistic crimes still echoes today through the halls of Tiffauges Castle.
The man who inspired the character of Bluebeard remains a deeply controversial figure in France. Some historians have even attempted to clear his name.
But to most, Gilles de Rais represents one of history’s first true human monsters—a man who believed himself untouchable and committed atrocities that continue to horrify us to this day.
