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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Kergroadès, built between 1598 and 1613 for Francis III of Kergroadez, local lord anoblied by Henry IV, embodies Breton Renaissance architecture. Built by 500 workers over 15 years, it replaces a medieval mansion and incorporates defensive elements (lethal towers, mâchicoulis). Its "U" design with a gallery of honour is inspired by the castle of Kerjean, while adopting a more severe aesthetic. The Latin motto engraved on the cornice, "Si non in timore di tenveriste instanter cito subvertatur domus tua", recalls the piety of its sponsor.

The castle, occupied by the family of Kergroadez until 1760, then passed into the hands of several owners, including the Marquis de Roquelaure, guillotined during the Revolution. It was transformed into a military hospital in 1794 for the troops of Saint-Renan and fell into ruins in the 19th century, as Benjamin Girard testified in 1889: "a few years were enough to make this rich castle a vast ruin". Materials (doors, windows, frames) were sold in 1807 after a revolutionary receiver.

Purchased in 1913 by the Chevillotte family, the castle is restored in a controversial way: the structure, roof and carpentry are redone ab nihilo, but defects (persistent leaks) lead to trials interrupted by the First World War. In 1991, Marek Mielniczuk, a Polish art merchant, acquired the estate and obtained his classification at the Historical Monuments in 1995. He restored several rooms, organized exhibitions and concerts (such as a Chopin recital), and received the Prix des Vieilles Maisons Françaises. Since 2000, the Jaclin family has continued the work (155 windows redone in 2009) and opened the site to the public, led by the association Les Amis de Kergroadez.

The estate extends over 22 hectares, including a regular terraced garden (prineventary of remarkable gardens), a wash fountain, and 16th-century "patribular" justice posts, remains of the former mansion. The architecture combines defensive symbols (parapets, murderers) and Renaissance elegance (large windows with stone crosses, carved mansards). Access is via two aisles bordering a protective wall pierced by cavalry and pedestrian doors, framed by ionic pilasters.

Today, the castle of Kergroadès illustrates the challenges of preserving the heritage: successive restorations (sometimes poorly executed), adaptations to modern uses (exhibitions, cultural events), and balance between openness to the public and conservation. Its history reflects the political (Rvolution, wars) and social changes (ownership changes, decline and then renaissance) that marked Brittany from the 17th to the 21st century.

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