Manoir de Coat-Nevenez
ManorHidden Treasure
Manoir de Coat-Nevenez, located in Pommerit-Jaudy (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
- Pommerit-Jaudy, Département 22, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.7107, -3.2618
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00089535
Austere and noble, the manor house of Coat-Nevenez stands in Trégor with its sober 17th-century granite face. Its door with columns and pediment, its gabled dormers and its large sculpted fireplace bear witness to an intact Breton elegance.
History
Nestling in the heart of the Trégor region, in the commune of Pommerit-Jaudy on the edge of the Côtes-d'Armor, the manor house of Coat-Nevenez is one of those discreet buildings that the Breton countryside carefully hides. Its very name - "Coat-Nevenez" meaning "new wood" or "new wood" in Breton - evokes a forest estate, a land of trees and stones that centuries have shaped over time. Listed as a Historic Monument since 1926, it belongs to that precious category of 17th-century Breton rural manor houses, too often ignored in favour of the châteaux of the Loire or coastal bastions, but with an authenticity that large residences have long since lost. What immediately sets Coat-Nevenez apart is the tension between the roughness of the local granite and the sophistication of its architectural details. The entrance door, framed by two columns topped by a pediment, reveals a classical ambition that is rare in the region's rural buildings. It reflects the cultured provincial aristocracy's desire to show off its rank without excessive ostentation. The main entrance is flanked by two stone gabled dormers, which punctuate the roof with a geometric rigour characteristic of Breton architecture of the Grand Siècle. The interior confirms this interpretation: the centrepiece of the dwelling is a large granite fireplace, the mantel of which rests on heavy sculpted brackets. These consoles, both powerful and decorative, reflect the skills of the stonemasons of Trégor, heirs to a tradition dating back to the building sites of the great medieval churches. A sober, functional stone staircase leads upstairs, completing an interior programme that favours solidity over splendour. The manor house comprises two buildings arranged at right angles to each other, a typical feature of Breton agricultural and seigneurial estates, which combined the master's dwelling and outbuildings in an enclosed or semi-enclosed courtyard. This L-shaped layout is both practical and symbolic: it defines a protected domestic space, turned in on itself, away from the hustle and bustle of the world. Today, a visit to the exterior and surrounding area is enough to recreate the atmosphere of this unspoilt estate, surrounded by a landscape of hedged farmland and woodland that has hardly changed since the 17th century.
Architecture
The Coat-Nevenez manor house has an angled layout - two perpendicular buildings forming an angle - a common feature of 17th-century Breton manor house architecture, which enabled the living quarters and outbuildings to be arranged around a protected courtyard. The entire building is constructed from local granite, a material that is ubiquitous in the Trégor region, giving the edifice its characteristic grey hue and age-old robustness. The most striking feature of the façade is undoubtedly the entrance door: framed by two columns with soberly ornate capitals, it is topped by a triangular pediment, a classically inspired detail that attests to an awareness, at least indirect, of the architectural models disseminated from Paris and the major provincial capitals. Two stone gabled dormers pierce the roof above the main building, adding light and rhythm to the vertical composition. Their gabled silhouette, rather than arched or curved pediment, is in keeping with the Breton and Nordic tradition, distinguishing Coat-Nevenez from the manor houses in the Loire and Normandy of the same period. Inside, the large granite fireplace is the symbolic and functional focal point of the dwelling. Its mantel, supported by heavy sculpted brackets, reveals the meticulous workmanship of local craftsmen. A straight or spiral stone staircase - probably straight, in the tradition of 17th-century manor houses in Trégor - leads to the upper levels. The architectural ensemble, sober and coherent, illustrates Breton provincial classicism: a synthesis between models from central France and the constraints of local materials, climate and regional building traditions.
Related Figures
Famille noble trégorroise fondatrice (XVIIe siècle, identité exacte non déterminée)Tailleur de pierre local ayant sculpté la porte à colonnes et les consoles de cheminéePropriétaires successifs de l'Ancien Régime, petite noblesse du TrégorAdministrateurs révolutionnaires ayant géré les biens nationaux bretons (1790-1800)Inspecteurs des Monuments Historiques ayant instruit le dossier d'inscription en 1926Soldats allemands de la Seconde Guerre mondiale (incendie du manoir, 1939-1945)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Manoir de Coat-Nevenez located?
Manoir de Coat-Nevenez is located in Pommerit-Jaudy, Département 22 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Manoir de Coat-Nevenez built?
Manoir de Coat-Nevenez dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Manoir de Coat-Nevenez open to visitors?
Manoir de Coat-Nevenez is currently closed to visitors.