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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The castle of Maillé, originally named castle of Coëtseizploë (Bois des seven parishes), finds its origins in the 13th century with a feudal wooden motte owned by the family of Kermavan. Alain de Kermavan (1220-1263), seigneur of the place, and his father François de Lesquelen, from a younger branch of the Counts of Leon, mark the beginnings of this lineage. The stone castle was erected in the 14th century by Tanguy de Kermavan, then transformed in the 16th century under Maurice de Carman and Jeanne de Goulaine, adding Renaissance elements inspired by Philibert Delorme, such as a Tuscan, ionic and Corinthian pavilion.

In 1577, the estate passed to the Maillé, the Tourangelle family, by the marriage of Claude de Ploësquellec with François de Maillé, killed in duel in 1600. Their son Charles de Maillé obtained the erection of the lands in marquisat in 1612. The castle, enriched with murals and panellings in the 17th century, was sold in 1747 to Louis-Antoine de Rohan-Chabot and then suffered partial destruction. After the Revolution, it was restored by Nicolas Ameline de Cadeville, who replaced the ruined chapel with a barn built in 1808.

Ranked a historical monument in 1981 for its facades, roofs and interior decorations (including a 14th century painted frame and a carved fireplace), the castle also preserves a feudal motte and a 17th century chapel. He was occupied by the Germans during World War II and today belongs to the Danguy Desert family. Its history reflects architectural transformations and noble alliances in Brittany, from the League wars to the contemporary era.

The present chapel, dedicated to Notre-Dame du Mont-Carmel, is an old 17th-century agricultural building converted after the destruction of the original chapel of Kermeur in 1808. The estate also includes moat, historic alleyways (such as Morlaix) and enclosed gardens, protected since 1990. The 16th century murals and 17th century woodwork bear witness to its past prestige.

Among the notable anecdotes, the layman of François de Maillé, killed in duel in 1600, rests in the chapel of Tromenec (Landeda), erected by his murderer as an atonement. The castle also housed members of the Sade family: Marie-Éléonore de Maillé, granddaughter of Henri de Maillé, was the mother of the Marquis de Sade. These links illustrate his role in French aristocratic history.

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