Château de la Chipaudière
CastleHidden Treasure
Château de la Chipaudière, located in Saint-Malo (Département 35), is a Renaissance château built in the 16th century. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- Castle
- Period
- Renaissance (16th century)
- Location
- Saint-Malo, Département 35, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.6366, -1.9570
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00090803
A jewel of 18th-century Malouin architecture, la Chipaudière is one of Brittany's most beautiful malouinières, with its formal gardens, three terraces and imposing 600-metre canal.
History
Hidden away in the Malouin countryside, La Chipaudière is much more than a prestigious residence: it is the epitome of a civilisation, that of the privateers who, enriched by the seas of the world, dreamt of French-style elegance in their Breton homeland. Built between 1710 and 1720, this extraordinary malouinière combines the classical rigour of its architecture with the generosity of its well-planned gardens to offer a rare experience, at the crossroads of the great century and the Breton soul. What sets La Chipaudière apart from its peers is above all the unity of its estate. The château itself, with its three-sided forebay crowned by a triangular pediment with a coat of arms, imposes a sovereign presence. The gardens - attributed to Le Nôtre's entourage - are laid out on three successive terraces in a geometric pattern of vegetation, completed by a 600-metre long canal, a mirror of water that stretches the horizon until sky and earth merge. The visitor experience is one of discovery in successive layers. You enter in traditional fashion, through the outbuildings and their ornate shepherd's huts, and then the estate gradually reveals itself: the 1735 chapel with its discreet bell tower and carved wooden altar, the orangery that bears witness to an aristocratic art of living, and finally the garden terraces from which you can look out over the moat and canal. The changing light of inland Brittany gives the estate different hues according to the season: golden along the paths in autumn, pearled with morning mist in winter, blossoming into a thousand greens in spring. Photographers will find a constant stream of rich compositions, while architectural history buffs will be delighted to lose themselves in the details of the facades, the alternating pediments and the Magon arms carved into the stone.
Architecture
La Chipaudière is part of the canon of classical French architecture of the early eighteenth century, as developed in the Malouinières by master masons and local contractors trained in the principles of regularity and symmetry. The château consists of a main building flanked by two symmetrical wings, a tripartite arrangement that gives the whole a measured majesty, far removed from the gigantic scale of the Loire châteaux, but unequivocally asserting the power of its patron. The three-sided central projection - which juts out slightly from the main facade - is crowned by a triangular pediment carved with the Magon coat of arms, surmounted by the marquis's crown, a heraldic element of great finesse. The outbuildings, an integral part of the estate, deserve particular attention: their gerbières - dormer windows used to ventilate and light the granaries - alternate between rounded and triangular pediments in a rhythm that bears witness to an unusual level of decorative care for agricultural outbuildings. The chapel, built away from the main building, is topped by a small stone bell tower and contains a carved wooden altar of remarkable craftsmanship, attributable to the carpentry and sculpture workshops that were active in the Malouin region in the early 18th century. The formal garden, laid out in three successive terraces, is linked by a moat and a 600-metre canal, an ambitious hydraulic composition reminiscent of the great Versailles gardens, while at the same time embracing the Breton topography.
Related Figures
Famille Pépin — premiers propriétaires connus du site, attestés au XVe siècleFamille Magon de la Lande — armateurs-négociants malouins, commanditaires du château actuel (1710-1720)André Le Nôtre (entourage) — jardinier royal dont l'école est créditée de la conception des jardins en terrassesNicolas Magon de la Lande — figure emblématique de la dynasty malouin, probable initiateur de la constructionRené Magon de la Chipaudière — héritier du domaine au XVIIIe siècle, ayant possiblement donné son nom au lieu
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Château de la Chipaudière located?
Château de la Chipaudière is located in Saint-Malo, Département 35 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Château de la Chipaudière built?
Château de la Chipaudière dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Château de la Chipaudière open to visitors?
Château de la Chipaudière is currently closed to visitors.
