Château du Bois de la Salle
CastleHidden Treasure
Château du Bois de la Salle, located in Pléguien (Département 22), 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
- Pléguien, Département 22, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.6234, -2.9277
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00125339
An aristocratic showcase dating from the early 18th century, the Château du Bois de la Salle in the heart of the Goëlo region boasts a majestic main courtyard, an orangery garden and a chapel with sculptures by Corlay.
History
Nestling in the woods in the commune of Pléguien, on the edge of Brittany's Goëlo region, the Château du Bois de la Salle is one of those discreet seigneurial complexes that encapsulate several centuries of local history and the French art of living in just a few hectares. Listed as a Historic Monument since 1993, it is an exceptional example of the civil and domestic architecture of the first quarter of the 18th century in Brittany, at a time when the noblesse de robe and families of notables were reinventing their ancestral homes. What makes the Bois de la Salle truly unique is the remarkable coherence of its ensemble. The main courtyard enclosed by a solemn gate, the side buildings housing the saddlery and chapel, the L-shaped farmyard, the orangery at the back of the dwelling and the dovecote to the south: each element fits together with a logic that bears witness to a masterly construction campaign, completed in barely two decades. In this way, the estate forms an architectural and landscaped whole of rare completeness for inland Brittany. A visit to the site is as much a walk through time as it is a walk through space. Visitors enter the courtyard through the monumental gateway, revealing the main dwelling, which stands like a stage in the background. The chapel, on the left, catches the eye with its sculptures, the work of local sculptor Corlay, who carved in stone the piety and ambition of a family on the rise. The garden behind the château, with its orangery, evokes the southern flavours that the great houses of Brittany liked to appropriate as a sign of refinement. Beyond the walls, the surrounding forest conceals a surprising additional layer of history: the remains of a feudal motte and a Roman camp can still be seen, reminding us that this site was occupied long before the first lords of Bois de la Salle established their residence here. The château is just as much a destination for lovers of Breton architecture as it is for walkers interested in rural history, or for photographers in search of golden light on centuries-old granite.
Architecture
Château du Bois de la Salle is in the tradition of French classical architecture as interpreted in Brittany in the early 18th century: sober facades in local granite, rigorously ordered volumes and a keen sense of overall composition. The main dwelling, built on two levels after the 1702 renovation works, features a regular facade punctuated by stone mullioned windows, characteristic of the classical taste of the region. The entrance gate, which closes off the courtyard of honour, is the most striking decorative element, framing the entrance with pilasters or pillars topped with sculpted elements in keeping with the custom of the period. The layout reveals a coherent architectural concept: the courtyard of honour, enclosed and ceremonial, leads to the dwelling via a central axis, while the side buildings - the saddlery on the right and the chapel on the left - frame the composition with symmetry. To the east, the bailey develops an L-shaped building and the outbuildings from 1718, organising the utilitarian space away from the representation. Behind the dwelling, the orangery, a building with large bay windows designed to shelter exotic plants during the winter, shows that the estate belongs to the cultivated circles of the Breton nobility. The private chapel, completed in 1723, is the ornamental jewel of the ensemble. Corlay's sculptures, whose iconographic programme probably combines religious symbolism with allusions to the family's coat of arms or glory, stand in stark contrast to the rigour of the dwelling's facades. Lastly, the dovecote to the south is a reminder of one of the most jealously guarded feudal privileges under the Ancien Régime, a stark sign of the noble status of the masters of the estate.
Related Figures
Famille seigneuriale du Bois de la Salle — propriétaires héréditaires, greffiers civils et criminels de la cour de Lanvollon au XVIe siècleCorlay — sculpteur breton auteur des sculptures de la chapelle, achevées en 1723Propriétaires du début du XVIIIe siècle — maîtres d'ouvrage du grand chantier de 1702-1723Soldats républicains (1795) — acteurs des dommages causés au château pendant la Révolution
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Château du Bois de la Salle located?
Château du Bois de la Salle is located in Pléguien, Département 22 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Château du Bois de la Salle built?
Château du Bois de la Salle dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Château du Bois de la Salle open to visitors?
Château du Bois de la Salle is currently closed to visitors.