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Origin and history

Hac Castle, located in Le Quiou in the Côtes-d'Armor, is an emblematic building of 15th century Breton ducal architecture. Built between 1440 and 1448 by Jean Hingant, chamberlain and adviser to the Duke François I of Brittany, it replaces an earlier mansion erected around 1380-1390 by Guillaume de Saint-André, diplomat of the Duke John IV. This first mansion, of which only the foundations remain, was transferred to Arthur de Richemont, then to Bintin's family, before being confiscated to Jean Hingant in 1450 for his involvement in the assassination of Gilles de Bretagne.

The present castle, made of calcareous stone, consists of two houses: one in the east, the remains of an earlier building, and the other in the west, built for Jean Hingant. It is flanked by six turrets, one of which houses a domestic chapel on the third floor. The interior preserves typical provisions of the Breton seigneurial residences, with halls, private rooms, latrines and monumental fireplaces. The windows on the ground floor and the entrance door, with strong movement, kept their original appearance, while those on the first floor were enlarged in the seventeenth century.

Passed into the hands of the Tournemine and Rieux families, the castle was sold in 1686 to the Lopriac family, who undertook major works, including the replacement of the frame. In 1770 he was acquired by Yves Reslou de la Tisonnais, mayor of Dinan, before being transformed into a farmhouse. Saved from ruin by a restoration between 1927 and 1936, it was declared a historical monument in 1993 and opened to the public in 1984. His surroundings, including the medieval gardens recreated between 1980 and 1990, were registered in 2012.

The castle illustrates the persistent influence of the Breton ducal court, with a homogeneous architecture despite minor modifications. Diagnostics conducted in 1997 revealed remarkable paintings and furniture, while recent restorations (2010) preserved its carpentry, stained glass and painted decorations. Today, it is one of the most intact testimonies of the golden age of the Duchy of Brittany, mixing residential, agricultural and symbolic functions.

Its history reflects the political turbulence of medieval Brittany, marked by rivalries between noble families and their proximity to the ducal power. The confiscation of the castle in 1450, linked to the assassination of Gilles de Bretagne, underlines its role in the intrigues of the time. Subsequent transformations, such as the expansion of windows in the 17th century or its conversion into a farmhouse, testify to its adaptation to the successive needs of its owners.

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