Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Caradeuc was built in 1722 by Anne-Nicolas de Caradeuc, prosecutor of the Parliament of Brittany, on a hill overlooking the Rance valley. The estate, originally conceived as a country residence, became a place of agricultural experimentation under his son, Louis-René de Caradeuc de La Chalotais, famous for his opposition to the Jesuits. Sold as a national property during the Revolution, the castle was partially destroyed before being returned to the family of Caradeuc in the early 19th century.

In the mid-19th century, Raoul de Caradeuc, grandson of Louis-René, undertook a major restoration of the castle and commissioned landscape architect Lhérault to create an English park, marked by winding alleys and a washhouse. In 1881, the estate was transferred to Count Alfred de Falloux and then to the family of Kernier. It entrusts Edward André, renowned landscape architect, with the redevelopment of the park in a style combining French-style gardens and wooded landscapes, with statues and monuments inspired by antiquity.

Between 1898 and 1900, architect Henri Mellet radically changed the appearance of the castle: the roofs of the pavilions were enhanced to the Mansart, a monumental peristyle was built, and a double-revolution staircase was added to the northern facade. The park, enriched with architectural elements from demolitions (such as the skylights of the Costardais castle), becomes one of the largest in Brittany. In 1950, Jacques de Wailly completed the eastern part of the estate. Despite the damage caused by the 1987 storm, the castle and its park, classified as historical monuments, retain their nostalgic atmosphere of the Great Century.

The Caradeuc Park, spanning 37 hectares, is structured around thematic stations: the French-style gardens surrounding the finish driveway, Diane's parterre dominated by a statue of the goddess, the roundabout of emperors decorated with Roman busts, and alleys dedicated to historical figures such as Louis XVI or Jeanne d'Arc. Heteroclitic elements, such as an armillary sphere on Mount Affilain (the highest point of the park) or an artificial cave dedicated to the Virgin of Lourdes, testify to the eclectic tastes of its owners. The estate, always private, is now protected for its architecture, statuary furniture and exceptional landscape.

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