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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Boberil mansion, located at L'Hermitage in Ille-et-Vilaine, dates back to the first half of the 14th century. Its name comes from the land of the Boberil, attested since 1284, and erected in chestnut in the sixteenth century by Henry III. The mansion, originally a seigneurial residence, was transformed into a farmhouse after its owners, the Boberil, acquired the Molant castle in the 16th century. Its shale and puddingue walls, polygonal moats and dovecote testify to its seigneurial status.

In the 16th century, Vincent du Boberil, lieutenant of the rear-ban and captain of the arquebusiers, undertook major transformations: the addition of a ceiling to the lower room, the construction of a house on the ground (disappeared) and a rear pavilion. The mansion, abandoned after 1572, became a farm. In 1768, records reported an advanced state of disrepair. Successive repairs, particularly after a fire in 1960, partially altered its structure.

Since 2017, Count Olivier du Boberil has been carrying out an ambitious restoration to restore the manor house in its 16th century state, using ancestral techniques such as the bauge, the quaking floors and the brickwork coated with local earth. This project, documented by Studio Sherlock, highlights rare craftsmanship. The manor house, listed as a historic monument in 2018, also includes a dovecoier of the 16th century and the remains of a chapel dedicated to Saint Mark, who disappeared.

The architecture of the Boberil is distinguished by its rectangular plan (20.6 × 8.90 m), its north entrance preceded by a 14th century wooden capital, and its trilobe windows. The large lower room, with an adorned Armo-American frame, preserves traces of the coat of arms of the Boberil. The kitchens and pantry complete this house, modified in the 18th and 19th centuries. The wooden pavilion, demolished for security, was studied thanks to the remains found in the moat in 2017.

The family of the Boberil, attested since 1285 with Geoffroy du Boberil, played a military and political role in Brittany. John I of the Boberil was squire and guard of the castle of Rennes in the 14th century, while Vincent II, lieutenant of the rear-ban in 1572, married Françoise d'Ust, heir of the Molant. The seigneury passed briefly to Pierre Henry de la Chesnaye in 1607 before being redeemed by Jean du Boberil. The following generations, such as René-Marie (counte du Molant in 1720), continued this lineage until Olivier du Boberil, the current restorer.

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