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Origin and history

The mansion of Trébodennic, located in Ploudaniel in the Finistère, was built in 1584 for Alain de Poulpry, lord of Lavengat, influential canon and adviser to the Parliament of Brittany. The latter, from a noble line present at the Crusades (1190, 1248), bequeaths the manor to his nephew, thus founding the residence of the older branch of the Marquis of Poulpry. Five members of the family held parliamentary positions between 1573 and 1707, illustrating their regional power.

The French Revolution marked a turning point: the manor house, sold as a national property after the emigration of its owner Jean-François de Poulpry, underwent partial demolition (two-thirds of the building, including a 50-metre facade). From the 16th century only the main house remains, adorned with Renaissance skylights, a cul-de-lamp turret, and a door framed with cariatids. The coat of arms of the monumental chimney, hammered during the Revolution, bears witness to the upheavals of the era.

In 1850, the Croc family acquired the mansion and undertook major renovations: reconstruction of a lost wing, addition of two twin towers on the facade, and creation of a winter garden at the back. These modifications, while partially altering the original architecture, save the building from ruin. The manor house, inscribed in the Historical Monuments since 1932, today retains remarkable Renaissance elements, such as its carved pediment representing a drum player and a flutist.

The history of the mansion reflects the vicissitudes of the Breton aristocracy, between ecclesiastical power (the Poulpry were canon and parliamentarians), revolutionary decline, and bourgeois renaissance in the nineteenth century. Its hybrid architecture, combining 16th century remains and neogothic additions, makes it a unique testimony to the social and artistic changes of Brittany.

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