Château du Bois-Cornillé
CastleHidden Treasure
Château du Bois-Cornillé, located in Val-d'Izé (Département 35), is a Renaissance château built in the 16th century. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- Castle
- Period
- Renaissance (16th century)
- Location
- Val-d'Izé, Département 35, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.1862, -1.2940
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00090893
Ancienne demeure de Pierre Landais, trésorier du Duché de Bretagne, le château du Bois-Cornillé fascine par sa Tour Goyon médiévale et ses fastueux jardins signés Denis Bühler et Édouard André.
History
Nestling in the bocage of Ille-et-Vilaine, Château du Bois-Cornillé is one of those Breton residences that carry within them several centuries of overlapping history. Its neo-Gothic silhouette, born of the bold vision of the de Kernier family at the end of the 19th century, conceals a medieval heart betrayed by the robust Tour Goyon, the only authentic vestige of the 15th-century fortress. What makes Bois-Cornillé truly singular is this skilful tension between two temporalities: on the one hand, the rough sandstone rubble of the medieval tower, and on the other, the ostentatious refinement of a château redesigned in an essentially decorative neo-Gothic style, designed more to seduce than to defend. The architects Jules and Henri Mellet have created an architecture of desire, a romantic ode to the Middle Ages that the 19th century was so fond of. The experience of visiting the château extends far beyond its walls. The English-style park, designed in 1876 by Denis Bühler - the landscape architect who also created the Parc Borély in Marseille and the Parc de la Tête-d'Or in Lyon - unfurls its skilfully composed views, its undulating masses of vegetation and its perspectives that invite contemplative strolls. Alongside it, the classical garden created in 1902 by Édouard André introduces a geometric rigour covering half a hectare that contrasts elegantly with the romantic freedom of the English park. Château du Bois-Cornillé is just as much for architecture enthusiasts as it is for lovers of historic gardens. It offers a lively lesson in the major trends in French taste at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, when the art of landscape gardening reached its apogee under the pen of the greatest names in the discipline. Photographers and watercolourists will find striking shots at any time of day, particularly in autumn when the park is ablaze with coppery colours.
Architecture
The Château du Bois-Cornillé has a dual architecture, the result of two major construction campaigns separated by four centuries. Only one element of the 15th-century medieval building remains visible on the main facade: the massive, austere Tour Goyon, built of local sandstone rubble. Its irregular bonding, thick walls and squat profile are in deliberate contrast to the rest of the building, giving it a raw authenticity that anchors it in Breton history. The main body of the château, as we see it today, is the result of work carried out between 1883 and 1887 by Jules and Henri Mellet. These architects adorned the building with a decorative neo-Gothic vocabulary: sculpted dormers, steeply pitched roofs, corner turrets, mullioned windows and meticulous cladding create a romantic silhouette typical of the historicist taste of the late 19th century. The materials used, dressed stone and plasterwork, are enhanced by a play of hierarchical volumes that create a lively, picturesque roofline. The landscaping is an architectural feature in its own right. Bühler's English-style park, with its winding paths, tall trees and landscaped views of the château, forms a highly sophisticated plant setting. Édouard André's classical garden, structured according to a rigorous geometry, introduces parterres and ordered perspectives, creating a subtle dialogue between French order and Romantic freedom within the same estate.
Related Figures
Pierre Landais — trésorier et receveur général du Duché de Bretagne, commanditaire du château au XVe siècle, pendu en 1485 pour trahisonFrançois II de Bretagne — duc de Bretagne dont Pierre Landais était l'homme de confianceFamille de Kernier — propriétaires à partir de 1832, instigateurs de la transformation néo-gothiqueJacques de Kernier — commanditaire du jardin classique réalisé en 1902Jules Mellet — architecte, co-auteur du remodelage néo-gothique de 1883-1887Henri Mellet — architecte, co-auteur du remodelage néo-gothique de 1883-1887Denis Bühler — architecte paysagiste, auteur du parc à l'anglaise (1876)Édouard André — architecte paysagiste, auteur du jardin classique (1902)
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Château du Bois-Cornillé located?
Château du Bois-Cornillé is located in Val-d'Izé, Département 35 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Château du Bois-Cornillé built?
Château du Bois-Cornillé dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Château du Bois-Cornillé open to visitors?
Château du Bois-Cornillé is currently closed to visitors.
