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Origin and history

The manor house of the Court, also known as the manor house of Gourhel, is a seigneurial residence built in the second half of the 16th century, as evidenced by the date of 1570 engraved on the door of the house. Located at 6 rue Saint-Samson in the village of Gourhel (Morbihan, Brittany), it was the seat of the seigneury of the Hall. Its architecture combines a body of Renaissance houses with buildings of commons arranged in square, with rectangular bays and in the middle of the hangar. The front door, framed with pilasters and surmounted by a pediment, illustrates the style of the era.

The manor has changed hands several times, successively belonging to the families Le Parchmentier (15th century), Le Prestre, Larcher (16th century), Charpentier (17th century), and Quifistre (18th century). These transitions reflect the social and economic changes of the Breton nobility between the Middle Ages and the modern era. The commons, divided between a dwelling (probably that of the farmer) and agricultural spaces, underline the double role of the estate: seigneurial residence and land exploitation.

Only the facades and roofs of the mansion have been protected as historical monuments since a decree of 6 May 1991. This partial protection is explained by subsequent transformations, such as the addition of a north wing in the seventeenth century and a south wing in the nineteenth century. The mansion has narrowly avoided disappearance, according to the sources, and its charm lies in alternating colorful materials and various bays, typical of Morbihan architecture.

The departmental archives did not allow the exact origin of the mansion to be accurately traced, although the date of 1573 (mentioned on another source) suggested a rapid construction or additional work shortly after 1570. Today, the site remains a testimony of the Breton seigneurial habitat of the Renaissance, mixing residential, agricultural and symbolic functions.

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