FOUGRES

industrial town and tourist centre, northwestern France, in Ille-et-Vilaine dpartement, Bretagne region, northeast of Rennes. Strikingly situated on a ridge dominating the winding valley of the Nanon River, the town, with its fortress, was of great military importance in medieval times. The castle (12th15th century), at the frontier between France and Brittany, was completely destroyed in 1166 by King Henry II of England but was immediately rebuilt. It changed hands a number of times during the ensuing centuries; despite partial destruction, much of the castle remains, including the walls and 13 towers. Victor Hugo, Gustave Flaubert, and several other 19th-century French writers lived for a time at Fougres, which has frequently been described in the literature of that epoch. The town has picturesque old houses and two churches dating from the 15th to the 17th century. The main traditional manufacture is footwear and, more recently, precision machinery. Pop. (1982) 24,178.