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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The castle of Malleville, located in Ploërmel in Morbihan, finds its origins in the 15th century with the seigneury of the Gombert family. A pavilion and circular turret date back to that time, while a chapel was built in 1520 under the Audren family, probably in atonement for brotherly murder. The estate then passed into the hands of several families (Gaultro, Picaud, Bréhault, Audren, Boisgelin, La Bourdonnaye, Le Seneschal) before being profoundly redesigned in the 19th century by Marc-Antoine de La Boëssière, Marquis and Member of Parliament for Morbihan, between 1835 and 1845.

In the 20th century, the castle was occupied by German troops between 1940 and 1944, then became the property of Louise de Lambilly. Its park, transformed into a hippodrome in 1905, and its chapel (with 16th century stained glass windows) with its calvary were listed as historical monuments in 1973. The current architecture, in the form of a "U", combines an ordered 19th-century facade with medieval elements such as the decorative circular turret.

The domain illustrates the architectural and social evolutions of Brittany, from medieval lords to modern transformations. The chapel, with its three-sided bedside and its original stained glass windows, bears witness to the piety and family conflicts of the 16th century, while the 19th century changes reflect the aristocratic tastes of the era. The racetrack and German occupation add contrasting historical layers to this iconic site.

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