CLISSON  , a

town of western France, in the department of Loire-Inferieure, prettily situated at the confluence of the Sevre Nantaise and the Moine 17 M . S.E. of Nantes by rail . Pop . (1906) 2244 . The town gave its name to the celebrated family of Clisson, of which the most famous member was Olivier de Clisson . It has the imposing ruins of their stronghold, parts of which date from the 13th century . The town and castle were destroyed in 1792 and 1793 during the Vendean wars . The sculptor F . F . Lemont afterwards bought the castle, and the town was rebuilt in the early part of the 19th century according to his plans . There are picturesque parks on the banks of the rivers . The Moine is crossed by an old Gothic bridge and by a fine modern viaduct .