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Origin and history

The Château du Molant, located in Bréal-sous-Montfort (Ille-et-Vilaine), is an emblematic monument of the 4th quarter of the 18th century, built between 1774 and 1775 on the plans of architect Louis de Brilhac for the Boberil family. This rectangular castle, with symmetrical facades and central forebody, embodies the sober but refined architecture of the period. Its wrought iron staircase (1786), bell tower chapel (1779) and orangery complete a homogeneous set, preserved in its authenticity.

The seigneury of the Molant, attested from the 14th century, belonged successively to the Lévesque families (1388, 1427), of Ust (1513), then to the Boberil from 1562, via the marriage of Françoise d'Ust with Vincent du Boberil. The estate, confiscated as national property in 1793 after the emigration of René-Joseph du Boberil, was bought by his sister, Madame de Kergu. The plans of 1784 reveal medieval vestiges, including an ancient dovecote and a primitive chapel, bearing witness to an earlier occupation.

Ranked a Historic Monument on 9 September 1993, the castle and its outbuildings (chapel, orangery, commons) illustrate the Breton aristocratic heritage. The environment, including gardens, alleys and woods, has been preserved, offering an exceptional setting. Materials, such as granite for bay frames or limestone for certain details, highlight the care taken in its construction. The ensemble remains a rare testimony of noble residential architecture of the late eighteenth century in Brittany.

Louis de Brilhac, knight and commander of Saint John, from a noble family of Touraine settled in Brittany, designed the plans in 1774-1775. His work for the Molant reflects the influence of Breton parliamentary networks, his brother Pierre being the first president of the Parliament of Brittany in 1703. René-Henry du Boberil, owner in the 18th century, served in the king's chevau-légers and married Victoire Levacher de la Chaize, then Charlotte Valette de Champfleury, placing the estate in the history of local elites.

The archives mention a 1793 record describing the location of the old castle near the pool, as well as a dovecote later replaced by orangery. The structure and some holes of the commons date back to the late Middle Ages, confirming the superposition of the epochs. The plans of 1784 and 1824 also show a parallel building to the north of the courtyard, now extinct. This heritage, both seigneurial residence and symbol of power, embodies nearly seven centuries of Breton history.

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