Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de Chalonge is located in the commune of Trévron, in the department of Côtes-d'Armor (Bretagne region), south-west of the village, on the edge of the Guinefort which marks the boundary with Le Hinglé. Its architecture combines a granite tower probably dating from the 15th century – partially redesigned – and a 16th century Renaissance house body. The decorative elements (lucarns, limestone fireplaces of the Faluns) and generous volumes reflect a desire to adapt to the aesthetic canons of the Renaissance, while preserving traces of its medieval origin.

The seigneury of the Chalonge was attested in the 13th century with Olivier du Chalonge, a knight mentioned in charters of 1253 and 1277 alongside his wife Agnes. Their son John, quoted in 1304 in the will of Duke John II of Brittany, bears a seal to the six molettes of the eperon. In the 14th century, the fief passed to the Breil family: Roland du Breil (1370–169) and his son Olivier, whose wealth (800 pounds of income in 1480) allowed the partial reconstruction of the castle. The current tower, with its round path and mâchicoulis, illustrates this feudal prestige.

At the end of the 16th century, Rolland du Breil, knight of the Order of the King and handler of the nobility of Saint-Malo, undertook an ambitious renovation of the castle. Rectangular bays, triangular pediments and Faluns limestone fireplaces date from this period. The family coat of arms (a silver lion on an azure background, surrounded by the Saint-Michel necklace) still adorn the facades, although those of the Revolution were hammered. In 1895 Albertine de Kerhoënt and Pierre-Henri-Rémy Ruinart de Brimont, new owners, undertook restorations without completing the reconstruction of the west wing.

Ranked a historic monument in 1926, the castle of Chalonge embodies almost eight centuries of history, from medieval lords to Renaissance transformations and revolutionary vicissitudes. Its inscription protects an architectural heritage where the marks of feudal power, the aristocratic ambitions of the Renaissance and the restorations of the 19th century overlap.

External links