Clisson is an important center of winemaking in the Nantes area. It has a lot of preserved historic buildings from the periods from the Middle Ages to the 19th century.
The city was owned by the Clisson family who had their castle here. It was largely destroyed during the French Revolution. Many other buildings in the city also suffered during the fighting, including churches and tenement houses. In the 19th century, the castle was bought by the sculptor François-Frédéric Lemot, who rebuilt it and also designed many buildings in Clisson.
The historic attractions of the Clisson include 15th century market hall, originally Romanesque, rebuilt in the 19th century, the church of St. Jacob's 11th century stone gothic bridge and many 16th century houses built in the Tuscan Renaissance style.
