Manoir de Cléhunault
ManorHidden Treasure
Manoir de Cléhunault, located in Saint-Martin-des-Prés (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
- Saint-Martin-des-Prés, Département 22, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.3227, -2.9532
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00089778
A late-Gothic 15th-century manor house nestling in the heart of the Côtes-d'Armor region, Cléhunault boasts a chapel with exceptionally elegant painted woodwork, attributed to the famous Le Corre workshop in Pontivy.
History
Perched in the Breton countryside of Saint-Martin-des-Prés, the manor house of Cléhunault embodies with discretion and nobility the seigneurial art of living at the end of the Middle Ages. Far from the spectacular châteaux of the Loire Valley, it offers an intimate window on deepest Brittany, the land of small enclosed courtyards, granite gates and private chapels where faith and art merge. The architectural ensemble, comprising three main buildings arranged in a U-shape around an inner courtyard, creates a feeling of enclosure that is both reassuring and majestic. The enclosing wall and gate that close off the courtyard reinforce this impression of a world apart, preserved from centuries and noise. Here, architecture speaks with a low voice but with authority. What really sets Cléhunault apart from other Breton manor houses is its chapel. Extending southwards from the west wing, it contains an interior décor of exceptional quality: carved woodwork, finely crafted altarpieces and painted panelling make up an ensemble attributed to the Le Corre workshop, master carpenters and sculptors from Pontivy whose talent spread throughout inland Brittany in the 18th century. A visit to the manor house is a complete change of scenery. In the golden half-light of the chapel, the colours of the painted panelling seem to have defied time. Lovers of Breton religious art, local history buffs and photographers in search of warm light and unexpected volumes will find plenty to marvel at here. The surrounding countryside, typical of the Loudéac region, adds a precious touch of serenity to the discovery.
Architecture
The Cléhunault manor house adopts a U-shaped layout typical of Breton seigneurial architecture in the late Middle Ages: three main buildings are arranged around an inner courtyard, enclosed on the entrance side by a wall with a gate. This layout, which is both defensive and representative, creates a controlled living space, turned in on itself, sheltered from outside view. The facades, built of granite - the king material of the Côtes-d'Armor region - feature the sober, late Breton Gothic style: mullioned openings, cross-hung dormers and carefully carved quoins. The verticality of the slate roofs, typical of the Armorican climate, gives the buildings a slender, austere silhouette. The most remarkable feature is undoubtedly the chapel, attached as an extension to the west wing, facing south in accordance with liturgical tradition. Its interior decoration is a coherent and rare whole: the wood panelling frames the space with rigour, the painted panelling covers the walls with colourful motifs combining religious iconography and geometric ornamentation, while the altarpieces, structured in a classicising Baroque vocabulary, punctuate the chevet. The fact that this decoration is attributed to the Le Corre workshop in Pontivy makes it an invaluable document for the history of decorative carpentry and painting in Central Brittany in the 18th century. The 18th-century renovation also introduced a number of classical elements into the overall composition, particularly in the window surrounds and cornice details, which tempered the original medieval character without betraying it. As a result, the building retains a remarkable stylistic stratification that can be seen by the attentive eye.
Related Figures
Famille noble locale fondatrice du manoir (fin XVe siècle, identité non établie avec certitude)Maîtres de l'atelier Le Corre de Pontivy (XVIIIe siècle, auteurs du décor de la chapelle)Propriétaires du XVIIIe siècle commanditaires de la rénovation et du décor intérieurInspecteurs des Monuments Historiques ayant instruit les dossiers de protection (1992 et 1995)
Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Manoir de Cléhunault located?
Manoir de Cléhunault is located in Saint-Martin-des-Prés, Département 22 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Manoir de Cléhunault built?
Manoir de Cléhunault dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Manoir de Cléhunault open to visitors?
Manoir de Cléhunault is currently closed to visitors.