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Origin and history

The Cohanno Manor House, also known as the Cohanno Castle or the Kohanno Kozh Manor House, is an iconic building located in the municipality of Surzur, Morbihan, England. Located in the heart of the eponymous hamlet, 2.8 km southwest of the village, it is distinguished by its architecture blending limestone, granite and slate roof with broken long sections. Its main façade bears a skylight dated 1677 and the carved coat of arms of the Kerguise family, testimonies of its seigneurial origin.

Built in 1676 for Jean Le Sénéchal de Kerguezec after the fire of his previous mansion, the site rests on a seigneury attested from 1427, then owned by Jean de Malestroit, bishop of Vannes. The wing of the commons, perpendicular to the house body, was added in the 18th century. The mansion changed hands several times, passing between the families of Malestroit (XV century), Kerguisé, de Francheville, La Ville Orion (late 18th century), then Désiré Beauchêne de La Morinière (XIXe) and Langlais (early 20th century). Completely redesigned in 1905 by Xavier de Langlais and again in 1962, it nevertheless retains protected historical elements since its inscription in historical monuments in 1968.

Originally a free estate in the 15th century, the mansion illustrates the architectural and social evolution of the Breton nobility, from medieval lords to landowners of modern times. Its stairway, covered gable and local materials (granite, limestone) reflect the constructive techniques of the 17th and 18th centuries. The archives also mention a potentially contemporary well of the 1676 construction, although its exact use remains undetailed.

The site, now private, embodies both residential and agricultural heritage, typical of Breton manor houses. Its history interspersed with that of the local noble families — such as the Kerguized or the Orion City — illuminates the dynamics of power and inheritance in the Morbihan of Ancien Régime. The major transformations of the 20th and 21st centuries (1905, 1962) altered its original structure, but the classified elements (facades, roofs) preserve the memory of its golden age.

The available sources (Wikipedia, Monumentum, Merimée base) underline its importance in the historical landscape of Valet. Close to the towns of Surzur and Saint-Armel, the Cohanno mansion is part of a network of castles and manor houses in the district of Vannes, reflecting the density of the heritage built in inland Brittany.

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