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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

Traon Feunteniou Manor, also known as Trofunteniou ("val des fountains" in Breton), is a building located 2 km northeast of Morlaix, in the Finistère. Although the seigneury was attested by the 15th century, the present building dates back to the 18th century, probably built with the materials of a former mansion, and then modified in the 19th century. It is distinguished by its sober style, with a ground floor and two attic floors, surrounded by a 100 hectare estate.

The first known owner, Sébastien du Trévou, lord of Traon Feunteniou, was imprisoned in 1792 for ill-treatment of his crew. Sentenced to cut down a tree on two of the main driveway, he escaped from Taurus Castle before being found dead on the coast of Terenez. This fact illustrates the social tensions of the French Revolution in the region.

In the 19th century, the mansion was acquired by Ferdinand Foch, future Marshal of France, after his marriage to Julie Bienvenüe, niece of engineer Fulgence Bienvenüe. Foch lived there until his death, and his daughter, Anne Fournier, was the last of them before his transformation into a monastery in 1986. The Gothic dovecote was razed at the beginning of the 20th century, and the chapel destroyed in 1940 by the Germans to enlarge a runway.

Since 1986, the mansion has been home to the religious community of the Little Sisters of Saint Francis of Assisi, founded by Father Louis Coache. Marshal Foch's work office, preserved intact, remains accessible to the public. The facades, roofs, and elements of the estate (aisle, vegetable garden, green carpet) have been classified as historic monuments since 1992, reflecting its heritage importance.

The estate, initially large and wooded, underwent major transformations: destruction of the original chapel, the slaughter of hundred-year-olds during the Second World War, and the construction of a modern oratory. Despite these changes, the mansion retains a strong link with the military and religious history of Brittany.

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