Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Couëllan, located in Guitté in the Côtes d'Armor, finds its origins in the 15th century with a mansion belonging to the family of the Hermine, then transmitted to the Boisjean. Damaged during the League's wars, it was rebuilt around 1620 by Simon Hay des Netumières, who married Madeleine du Boisjean in 1603, heiress of the estate. The first construction campaign includes the south-west pavilion, the chapel, a lodging for the chaplain, and communes, all surrounded by a wall of enclosure with drawbridge. A terrace and terraced gardens are added at the end of the 17th century, reflecting the evolution of architectural tastes of the era.

The second major phase of construction took place between 1775 and 1777, under the family of Saint-Pern, with the completion of the main body of the house and the addition of a wing in return of square. In 1748, the chaplain's pavilion was doubled, and an orangery was built in 1753. The castle underwent landscape transformations at the end of the 19th century: the main courtyard became a park, the south wall was destroyed, and the gate was moved. In 1929, a gate from the Lattay Castle in Guenroc was installed at the entrance to the wood. The monument was partially inscribed in the Historical Monuments in 1976 for its facades, roofs, chapel and commons.

The architecture of the castle is distinguished by the joint use of stone-cut granite and shale stones, with traces of original coatings. Two remarkable staircases illustrate the construction campaigns: one of the seventeenth century, in stone with crawling vaults, and the other of the eighteenth century, in wood with a wrought iron ramp decorated with characteristic motifs from the beginning of the reign of Louis XVI. The commons, in rubble and granite, complete this ensemble, testifying to the spatial and social organization of the domain throughout the centuries.

The cadastre of 1836 reveals a complex organization of the courtyards and outbuildings, with an open foreyard on the Caulnes road, a main courtyard closed by a wall connecting the communes to the chapel, and a backyard accessible from the road. The transformations of the 19th century, including the creation of a floor instead of the old courtyard, profoundly altered the appearance of the surroundings, while preserving the integrity of the main buildings. These developments reflect the castle's adaptation to its successive lifestyles and aesthetics, from its initial defensive function to its residential and landscape role.

The Château de Couëllan thus embodies almost four centuries of architectural and social history in Brittany, marked by influential families such as the Hay des Netumières and the Saint-Pern. Its partial inscription in 1976 underlines the heritage value of its most representative elements, while recalling the adaptations and losses suffered over time, such as the disappearance of the wall of enclosure or the building of the forecourt. Architectural details, such as stairs or materials, offer a valuable testimony to the techniques and styles of the 17th and 18th centuries.

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