Chateaux of Brittany
Château de Chassay
There was a Gallo-Roman villa on the site of Château de Chassay already in the 6th century AD. The castle is mentioned in the 1096 in a bishop letter. The current château was built in the 16th century. King Henry IV visited there in 1598. The castle was abandoned from the French Revolution until 1827, when it was acquired by Countess de Bondy. Today it is owned by the municipality.
Founded: 16th century |
Location:
Sainte-Luce-sur-Loire, France
Château du Dourdy
Château du Dourdy was built in 1913 and is surrounded by 22-hectare grounds bordering the Pont l'Abbé river. Today it is a hotel and camping site.
Founded: 1913 |
Location:
Loctudy, France
Château du Crévy
Château du Crévy dates from the 12th century, but the current castle was built in the 14th century and again in 1697. There has been a Roman oppidium on the site.
Founded: 14th century |
Location:
La Chapelle-Caro, France
Château de Hac
Château de Hac is a large castle built in the first half of 15th century. It has a rectangular main building flanked of five turrets. The present castle has not been altered much. The Gothic furniture and interior date from the 15th and 16th centuries. At the beginning of 15th century, it was the residence of the constable Arthur de Richemont and was the prerogative of the families of Richemont, Hingant, Tournemine ...
Founded: 15th century |
Location:
Le Quiou, France
Château de Montafilan
Château de Montafilan was built in the 12-13th centuries. The history of castle origins is quite unknown. It was however demolished already in the 16th century and stones were used to other buildings. Montafilan was a mighty castle on a steep hill. There were eight tower, today two of them and some walls remain.
Founded: 12th century |
Location:
Corseul, France
Château de Guilguiffin
A family named Guilguiffin appears in the annals of the area, but seems to die out in the 14th century. Guilllaume De Ty Varlen settled at Guilguiffin and had a significant fortified residence. Jean Louis Armand Fortuné De Plouec, born in 1694, replaced the ancient manorr with the current chateau between 1750 and 1760, using plans drawn up by the Quimper architect Nicolas Pochic. In 1797 the donjon, a lead-capped t ...
Founded: 1750-1760 |
Location:
Landudec, France
Château de Rustéphan
The Château de Rustéphan is a small, ruined 15th-16th century manor-house erected by Jean Du Faou, chamberlain of France and grand seneschal of Brittany, who built the domaine in 1420. According to tradition, the original manor was built by the son of a Duke of Brittany, named Étienne, Count of Penthièvre and seigneur of Nizon, who died in 1137.The current structure was built by Jean du Faou. Ac ...
Founded: 1420 |
Location:
Pont-Aven, France
Manoir du Plessis-Madeuc
The Manor House of Plessix-Madeuc was built in the 16th century and underwent significant changes up until the 17th century. The building has excellent proportions and the tower, which dominates the southwest side, was traditionally the main living quarters of the lord of the Manor. The main door of the mansion is crowned by a triangular pediment decorated with the arms of the family of the Gaudemont Monforière, ow ...
Founded: 17th century |
Location:
Corseul, France
Château de La Guyomarais
Château de La Guyomarais was built in the 16th century, but it the estate was owned by Guyomarais family already in the 15th century. Today castle is a private property.
Founded: 16th century |
Location:
Saint-Denoual, France
Château de Boutavent Ruins
Château de Boutavent may have been built in the 11th century, but there is no written evidence of exact date. It has been confirmed that during the 13th and 14th century, the castle belonged to the Lords of Montfort. According a legend during the 7th century the castle was the residence of Judicaël, King of Domnonée, and that it had been the place where the King and saint Éloi met. This last was s ...
Founded: 11th century |
Location:
Iffendic, France
Manoir de Mézarnou
The Manoir de Mézarnou is a fortified 16th century manor-house built on the site of an old medieval building, property in 1091, of Pierre André de Parcevaux, husband of Sybille de Trogoff. In 1145, Ollivier de Parcevaux donated to the abbey of Relecq. In 1250, Pierre de Parcevaux accompanied sire de Chateaubriand to the Holy Land with King Louis and the Duke of Brittany during the Seventh Crusade. In 1297, P ...
Founded: 1571-1591 |
Location:
Plounéventer, France
Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings
Photo from Flickr, copyright Tom Hilton
Historic Site of the week
Monet's Garden
Claude Monet lived for forty-three years, from 1883 to 1926, in Giverny. With a passion for gardening as well as for colours, he conceived both his flower garden and water garden as true works of art. Walking through his house and gardens, visitors can still feel the atmosphere which reigned at the home of the Master of Impressionnism and marvel at the floral compositions and nymphéas, his greatest sources of inspiration.
In 1890 Monet had enough money to buy the house and land outright and set out to create the magnificent gardens he wanted to paint. Some of his most famous paintings were of his garden in Giverny, famous for its rectangular Clos normand, with archways of climbing plants entwined around colored shrubs, and the water garden, formed by a tributary to the Epte, with the Japanese bridge, the pond with the water lilies, the wisterias and the azaleas.
Today the Monet's Garden is open to the public.