Colombier de Lesmoal
MonumentHidden Treasure
Colombier de Lesmoal, located in Plounérin (Département 22), is a Renaissance château built in the 16th century. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Renaissance (16th century)
- Location
- Plounérin, Département 22, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- Mérimée Reference
- PA22000005
A discreet jewel in the crown of Brittany's Trégor region, the Lesmoal dovecote's bell-shaped walls stand beneath its coat of arms. One of the finest dovecotes in Brittany, it is a fine example of 16th-century seigneurial art.
History
Nestling in the Trégorrois bocage of Plounérin, in the heart of the Côtes-d'Armor region, the Lesmoal dovecote is one of those seemingly modest structures of rare sophistication that the centuries have preserved almost intact. As an outbuilding of the seigneurial manor of Lesmoal, it alone embodies all the prestige attached to the right to a dovecote in Ancien Régime France: a privilege jealously guarded by the nobility and embodied in stone with exceptional care. What immediately sets the building apart is the quality of its workmanship. The carefully framed entrance door is surmounted by the Lesmoal family coat of arms, a reminder that this building was not simply a farm outbuilding but a symbol of power and rank. Inside, visitors discover a space with bell-shaped walls - an architectural solution that is as elegant as it is functional, optimising the surface area available for the boulins, the stone niches used to house pigeons. The visitor experience is that of an intimate monument, far removed from the crowds of large châteaux. You take your time to observe the details: the regularity of the granite courses, the precision of the joint work, the sober majesty of the sculpted coat of arms. Around the dovecote, the rural landscape of Trégor lends an atmosphere of serenity that is not contradicted by the silence of the surrounding fields. The site's natural setting adds to its charm. The rolling, verdant countryside of Plounérin is part of this deep-rooted Trégor, where the rural heritage of Brittany has been preserved with remarkable fidelity. The Lesmoal dovecote is an ideal destination for lovers of discreet heritage, for photographers in search of material and for anyone wishing to get away from the beaten track and experience the authenticity of inland Brittany.
Architecture
The Lesmoal dovecote is in the tradition of late-Renaissance Breton lordly dovecotes, built in local granite to an architectural design that is both functional and representative. It has a cylindrical plan - the most common shape for prestigious dovecotes - allowing the bolts to be evenly distributed around the interior circumference. The remarkable feature of this building is the curvature of its interior walls, which are bell-shaped: wider at the base, they curve slightly upwards, creating an interior volume that is both original and technically justified, favouring structural stability while maximising the number of niches available for the pigeons. The exterior elevation, sober and massive as is customary in the rural architecture of Trégor, is enlivened by the entrance door, the real centrepiece of the composition. Carefully framed in finely worked ashlar, it is crowned with a cartouche bearing the coat of arms of the Lesmoal family, a rare combination of utilitarian function and heraldic scheme. The roof, which is probably conical in accordance with regional canons, was covered in slate, a traditional material in northern Brittany. The overall quality of the workmanship - the regularity of the courses, the neatness of the joints, the precision of the sculptural work on the coat of arms - makes the Lesmoal dovecote one of the finest examples of this type of construction in Trégor, a region rich in examples of rural seigniorial heritage from the 16th and 17th centuries.
Related Figures
Maurice Meur — co-fondateur du manoir et commanditaire probable du colombier au XVIe siècleJulienne de Quélen — épouse de Maurice Meur, dont l'alliance familiale contribua à la construction du domaine de LesmoalFamille de Lesmoal — lignée noble trégorroise dont les armoiries ornent encore la porte du colombier
Map
Coordinates not available for this monument.
Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Colombier de Lesmoal located?
Colombier de Lesmoal is located in Plounérin, Département 22 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Colombier de Lesmoal built?
Colombier de Lesmoal dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Colombier de Lesmoal open to visitors?
Colombier de Lesmoal is currently closed to visitors.