Initial construction fin XVIe siècle (≈ 1695)
Building on an old seigneurial residence.
1720-1730
Major changes
Major changes 1720-1730 (≈ 1725)
Addition of a floor and layout by Huguet.
1893
Fire and restoration
Fire and restoration 1893 (≈ 1893)
Mansart roof replaced by Henri Mellet.
4 juillet 1980
First entry MH
First entry MH 4 juillet 1980 (≈ 1980)
Protection of the facades and roofs of the house.
13 janvier 2011
Extension of registration
Extension of registration 13 janvier 2011 (≈ 2011)
Classification of gardens, avenues and landscape elements.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The castle, namely: the facades and roofs of the house and the two buildings of communes; the courtyard for its plate floor; the garden, including the hemicycle and newly created aisles, for its plate floor, its central basin and all its masonry architectural elements; the foreyard for all its walls and its plate floor; the entrance gate with its wrought iron gate; the vegetable garden for all its walls and its plate floor; the bridge crossing the river Andoullé, the lift connecting it to the entrance gate and the esplanade preceding it; the five paths drawn in the 18th century, excluding, in the case of the axial aisle, parts belonging to a farmer or the commune; the curved aisle and the base ground of the landscaped agricultural park created in the 19th century on both sides of the Andoullé River (cf. ZA 34, 90-98, 101-103; ZN 16, 52, 62, 65): registration by order of 13 January 2011
Key figures
Henri Mellet - Restaurant restaurant
Responsible for post-fire work in 1893.
Huguet - Architect
Directed the 18th century modifications.
Origin and history
The Magnanne Castle, located in the eponymous hamlet east of Andoullé-Neuville (Ille-et-Vilaine), was built at the end of the sixteenth century on the site of an old seigneurial residence. Bordered by the Andoullé River, it features an H-shaped plane with two side pavilions, circular turrets and a double-flyed central staircase. Its facades in stoneware and granite-cut stone reflect orderly architecture, while its roofs, initially at the Mansart, were simplified after the fire of 1893.
In the 18th century, the castle underwent major modifications under the direction of architect Huguet, including the addition of a floor, a bastioned terrace, and a monumental entrance gate. The estate was then renovated with radiant avenues, a large north floor, a palm game, and an agricultural park bounded by a curved aisle. These transformations marked his transition from a defensive function to an aristocratic landscape, symbolizing the prestige of his owners.
Ranked as a Historic Monument since 1980, the castle was extended in 2011 to include its gardens, avenues, and landscape elements. The protections cover facades, roofs, courtyards, ponds, vegetable garden, bridge over the river Andoullé, and five 18th century aisles. The site illustrates the evolution of the architectural models of the late Renaissance, adapted to a local context while affirming a noble identity through its territorial development.
The fire of 1893, followed by restorations by Henri Mellet, permanently altered his appearance, notably by replacing the Mansart roof with a simpler structure. Today, the Magnanne Castle remains a remarkable testimony to the transformations of a seigneurial estate into a landscaped place of life, where defensive heritage, architectural innovations and environmental development combine.
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