Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château du Bois de la Salle, located in Pléguien in the Côtes-d Originally, at the beginning of the 16th century, it was a noble house belonging to hereditary clerks of the Lanvollon court. The present set, with its gardens built in 1702 and its pond completed in 1706, reflects the major changes carried out in the early 1700s, including the elevation of the floors and the construction of the communes in 1718.

In 1723, the pavilion and chapel, decorated with sculptures by Corlay, marked the culmination of the works. The French Revolution had an impact on the field: it was declared a national in 1795 and suffered damage caused by Republican soldiers. The architecture of the castle, organised around a courtyard closed by a gate, includes side buildings (sellery and chapel), a lower courtyard with commons, as well as a garden with an orangery and a dovecote. Remnants of a feudal motte or Roman camp remain in the forest, adding an earlier historical dimension.

Ranked a Historic Monument in 1993, the castle of the Bois de la Salle illustrates the evolution of a seigneurial residence into a coherent architectural complex, combining residential, religious (chapel) and agricultural functions (dependencies). Its dovecote, typical of noble estates, and its structured gardens testify to the importance attached to both prestige and economic autonomy under the Old Regime. Corlay's sculptures, although poorly documented, highlight the influence of local artisans in the beautification of Breton aristocratic residences.

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