Manoir de Boisgelin, ou Château-Hôtel de Coatguelen
ManorHidden Treasure
Manoir de Boisgelin, ou Château-Hôtel de Coatguelen, located in Pléhédel (Département 22), is a Renaissance château built in the 16th century. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- Manor
- Period
- Renaissance (16th century)
- Location
- Pléhédel, Département 22, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.6842, -3.0237
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00089403
Nestling in the heart of a centuries-old park in Brittany, the Manoir de Boisgelin reveals three centuries of seigniorial architecture, from Renaissance granite to Baroque broken pediment, in a setting of unspoilt nature.
History
At the bend in a hedged path in the Côtes-d'Armor region, the manor house of Boisgelin - also known as the Château-Hôtel de Coatguelen - stands out with the haughty discretion of the great Breton residences. Listed as a Historic Monument since 1964, this seigniorial ensemble tells the story, stone by stone, of the evolution of aristocratic taste from the 16th to the 18th century, without ever indulging in ostentation. What makes Boisgelin so special is precisely this stratification, which is visible to the naked eye: three distinct building campaigns follow one another in a coherent architectural narrative, from the Renaissance east wing to the Baroque broken pediment crowning the central entrance door. The local granite, cut with care, gives the whole structure the austere grey hue so characteristic of Breton manorial architecture, which is enhanced in an incomparable way by the low autumn light or misty mornings. The park surrounding the manor house is a heritage feature in its own right. The remains of the pools, now transformed into a pond, and the monumental pilasters at the gates to the main courtyard bear witness to an ambitious garden layout, probably inspired by the great French gardens of the Grand Siècle. These plant and hydraulic structures, partially restored by time and vegetation, give the site a romantic melancholy that lovers of 'ruined' gardens will particularly appreciate. The garden entrance motif to the north, which is still visible, provides a remarkable axis of composition and reveals the aesthetic ambitions of the families who have succeeded one another here. To explore Boisgelin is to allow yourself to be guided by this logic of controlled incompletion, where each era has left its mark without erasing that of the previous one. A place for the curious who know how to read stones as well as books.
Architecture
The Boisgelin manor house has a U-shaped layout typical of Breton manor house architecture of the 16th and 17th centuries: a main granite building forms the centrepiece of the composition, flanked by two single-storey wings on the ground floor that define an open main courtyard. The local grey granite, the preferred material of Armorican builders, gives the building its robustness and the sober palette of colours, tinged with golden lichen, so characteristic of the homes in the region. The most striking architectural feature is the broken pediment that crowns the central entrance door to the main building. This Baroque motif, introduced to France in the late 16th century and popularised during the Grand Siècle, demonstrates a mastery of the decorative codes in force in aristocratic circles. It contrasts harmoniously with the overall severity of the granite façade, providing a welcome surprise. The east wing, the oldest, retains the characteristics of Breton Renaissance architecture: measured proportions, regular openings and sober ornamentation. The park complements the architectural interpretation of the site admirably. The pilasters of the main courtyard gates, still in place, structure the entrance to the estate with restrained solemnity. The motif at the entrance to the garden to the north forms a neat axis of perspective, probably the legacy of a French composition. The remains of ponds, converted into a pond, are a reminder of the existence of a once elaborate ornamental hydraulic system, typical of seventeenth-century aristocratic gardens. The eighteenth-century framework, interior but no less precious, completes this panorama of accumulated techniques and know-how.
Related Figures
Famille de Boisgelin — lignée nobiliaire bretonne, propriétaire historique du manoir et commanditaire des différentes campagnes de constructionJean-de-Dieu-Raymond de Boisgelin de Cucé — archevêque d'Aix et cardinal, membre éminent de la famille Boisgelin, figure de l'Église et de la politique du XVIIIe siècleMaîtres maçons bretons anonymes — artisans locaux spécialistes du granit armoricain à qui l'on doit la mise en œuvre des trois campagnes de construction
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Manoir de Boisgelin, ou Château-Hôtel de Coatguelen located?
Manoir de Boisgelin, ou Château-Hôtel de Coatguelen is located in Pléhédel, Département 22 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Manoir de Boisgelin, ou Château-Hôtel de Coatguelen built?
Manoir de Boisgelin, ou Château-Hôtel de Coatguelen dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Manoir de Boisgelin, ou Château-Hôtel de Coatguelen open to visitors?
Manoir de Boisgelin, ou Château-Hôtel de Coatguelen is currently closed to visitors.