Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château des Champs, located in Guipry-Messac in Ille-et-Vilaine, is a building built around 1615 with stones from the destroyed fortress of Lohéac. Its initial architecture, marked by pepper roof towers and moat, maintains a medieval look despite its date of construction in the early seventeenth century. The building was considerably enlarged around 1710 by reusing materials from the castle of Lohéac, with a main body flanked by corner towers and a central courtyard accessible by a classical fronton door. The chapel, added in the eighteenth century, completes a set surrounded by moat, including outbuildings and commons.

Inside, the large living room on the first floor houses twelve 18th-century biblical frescoes, while the blue room features two 19th-century painted wooden panels, signed by Cavaille and Koll. The castle, owned by the Le Chauff family in the 19th century, was associated with Charlotte Apolline Le Chauff, widow of Marie Joseph Anne Piedevache de la Bourdelais, who died there in 1875. It has been listed as a historical monument since 6 May 1966 for its facades, roofs, chapel, oven and moat.

The site is distinguished by its mixture of defensive elements inherited from the Middle Ages (doves, towers) and beautifications of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries (frescoes, chapel). Its history reflects the architectural and social transformations of the Breton nobility, between medieval heritage and adaptations to classical tastes. The reuse of Lohéac materials also illustrates the economic construction practices of the time, where the recycling of stones was common for large construction sites.

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