Ferme Le Corboulo
MonumentHidden Treasure
Ferme Le Corboulo, located in Saint-Aignan (Département 56), 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
- Saint-Aignan, Département 56, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.1715, -3.0176
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00091654
In the heart of Morbihan, Le Corboulo farmhouse is a rare example of Breton peasant success in the 18th century: cut slate, elegant dormer windows and the story of a couple of builders in the midst of the French Revolution.
History
Nestling in the market town of Saint-Aignan in southern Morbihan, Le Corboulo farmhouse is much more than just an ordinary farm building. Listed as a Historic Monument since 1987, it embodies with rare eloquence the discreet prosperity of the Breton peasantry at the end of the 18th century, at a time when the Revolution was overturning social hierarchies but not erasing the ambitions of the most skilful. The first thing that strikes you is the quality of the treatment of the local schist, which is usually used in its raw state, but in this case is dressed in real ashlar. The care taken with the material betrays a clear desire to make a social statement. The sandstone window surrounds contrast with the dark hue of the shale, creating a sober but refined play of colours, typical of the rural manor houses of the inland region of Brittany. The main dwelling, with its single storey and dormer roof, is connected to a second, more modest dwelling with a ground floor and attic, which is linked to a stable by a palis partition. This carefully thought-out layout, in which the staircase is relegated to a utility room so as to leave the large lower rooms completely free, suggests a careful domestic use - perhaps linked to weaving, a widespread activity in the countryside of Central Brittany at the time. To visit Le Corboulo is to enter into the intimacy of an extraordinary family success story, that of Yves Guillome and Marie Cognan, peasant builders who carved their ambition in stone at the heart of the revolutionary turmoil. The leafy setting of Saint-Aignan, typical of the inland landscapes of Morbihan, reinforces the feeling of travelling back to an authentic and unspoilt 18th century Brittany.
Architecture
Le Corboulo farm features rural Breton architecture of an unusually high quality for its rank and era. The main dwelling, comprising a ground floor and a full storey, is crowned by a dormer roof, giving it a silhouette more akin to a bourgeois house than an ordinary farmhouse. The local schist, which is ubiquitous in this part of Morbihan, is exceptionally treated in regularly coursed ashlar, a sign of the considerable technical and financial investment required. The window surrounds, carved in warmer shades of blond sandstone, create a deliberate and elegant chromatic contrast with the dark rock of the walls. The main dwelling communicates with a second, more modest dwelling with a ground floor and attic, which in turn is connected to the stable by a palis partition - a system of vertical planks or poles that separates the living space from the animal space while maintaining their functional contiguity. The placement of the staircase in this intermediate space is a deliberate architectural decision, which completely frees the two large lower rooms of the dwellings from any obstacles, opening up the possibility of intensive craft activity, such as loom weaving. The ensemble reflects the canons of 18th-century Breton vernacular architecture, enriched by the clear desire of those who commissioned it to make a lasting and distinctive mark on their success, without breaking with the traditional forms of the region.
Related Figures
Yves Guillome — paysan morbihannais, commanditaire et co-constructeur de la ferme en 1793Marie Cognan — épouse d'Yves Guillome, co-commanditaire de la ferme, symbole de la réussite paysanne bretonne de la fin du XVIIIe siècle
Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Ferme Le Corboulo located?
Ferme Le Corboulo is located in Saint-Aignan, Département 56 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Ferme Le Corboulo built?
Ferme Le Corboulo dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Ferme Le Corboulo open to visitors?
Ferme Le Corboulo is currently closed to visitors.