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Origin and history

The castles of Limoëlan form a historic estate located in Sévignac, in the Côtes-d'Armor. This site consists of two separate buildings: the remains of a first medieval castle, now reduced to a farm surrounded by moat, and a second castle erected in 1779 150 meters from the first. The 18th-century building is accompanied by a chapel, a pavilion of the Archives, commons, a garden and a terrace, all of which have been classified as a historical monument since 1991.

The first castle, formerly the seat of the seigneury of Beaumanoir, was owned by successive noble families, including Rousselot (XIVth century), Dinan (XIVth–XVth centuries), Guemadeuc (XVIth century), and DESPINAY (XVIIth century). In 1689 he passed into the hands of the Lorraine family, before being acquired in 1758 by Michel Julien Alain Picot de Clorivière. He built the new castle in 1779 and adopted the name Picot de Limoëlan. His son, Joseph Picot de Limoëlan, was involved in counter-revolutionary plots, including the infernal machine attack against Bonaparte in 1800.

The estate had a turbulent history during the French Revolution. Michel Picot de Limoëlan, owner of the premises, was guillotineed in Paris in 1793 for his role in the conspiracy of the Marquis de La Rouerie. After the Revolution, the castles passed into the hands of the Picot families of Limoëlan, Bonjour de Limoëlan and Chappedelaine. Today, only part of the old castle turned into a farm remains, the 18th century castle with its outbuildings, and protected landscape elements.

The entire site, including the old castle, its moats, the dovecote, the 18th century castle, the chapel, the Archives Pavilion, the communes, the terrace and the garden, was inscribed as historical monuments by order of 18 March 1991. This protection covers a remarkable built and landscaped setting, a witness to the architectural and social evolution of Brittany during the 17th and 18th centuries.

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