Château de la Hunaudaye
CastleHidden Treasure
Château de la Hunaudaye, located in Plédéliac (Département 22), 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
- Plédéliac, Département 22, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.4728, -2.3390
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00089396
A medieval fortress rising out of the Breton mists, La Hunaudaye stands with its five ruined towers in the heart of the Côtes-d'Armor region - one of the best-preserved Gothic castles in Brittany.
History
Rounding a bend in a forest road in the Plédéliac area, the Château de la Hunaudaye appears like a vision from the depths of time: five massive towers encircling an inner courtyard overgrown with vegetation, gutted curtain walls allowing light to filter through, a half-standing Renaissance dwelling. It's not a castle that's been recreated or over-musicified - it's a ruin inhabited by history, and that's precisely what makes it one of the most striking medieval sites in the whole of Brittany. What distinguishes La Hunaudaye from so many other fortresses is the sheer scale of what remains. Where most of Brittany's medieval castles have only left a section of wall or a filled-in ditch, La Hunaudaye still offers visitors almost the entirety of its polygonal enclosure, several towers reaching a respectable height, and interior remains that are sufficiently legible for visitors to mentally reconstruct the original volumes. The Glacière tower, the Mélusine tower and the moat tower stand in silent dialogue with their dried-up moats, forming a scenographic ensemble of rare coherence. The visitor experience oscillates between contemplation and exploration. The educational facilities installed by the Département des Côtes-d'Armor since it acquired the site help visitors to understand the architectural development of the castle from the 13th to the 17th century, without ever breaking the atmosphere of an abandoned place that is so charming. Regular on-site medieval events - tournaments, craft demonstrations, night-time shows - attract families and history buffs alike, without detracting from the setting. The natural setting is an integral part of the experience: the castle is surrounded by a moat that is still partly filled with water, and by dense woodland typical of the inland Argoat region of Brittany. At dawn or on a late autumn afternoon, when the mist rises from the moat, La Hunaudaye achieves a photographic and emotional quality that few French monuments can claim. It's a place that speaks directly to the imagination, without the need for digital reconstructions or special effects.
Architecture
Château de la Hunaudaye is an irregular pentagonal enclosure flanked by five circular towers of varying dimensions, surrounded by a moat that is still partly filled with water. This layout, typical of Breton seigneurial fortresses in the late Middle Ages, is strictly defensive in nature: there is no academic symmetry, but rather a pragmatic adaptation to the terrain and topographical constraints of the site. The curtain walls made of local sandstone - the dominant material in the Plédéliac region - are several metres high in places, despite centuries of decay. The towers are the most spectacular architectural feature. The Glacière tower, the most massive, still retains a large part of its elevation, giving an idea of the imposing size the building must have had at its height. The Mélusine tower, whose name evokes the legends associated with the site, has a particularly photogenic silhouette with its loopholes and stone corbels. All of the towers were built using the hall-tower technique, combining defensive functions with living space. The west dwelling is the main concession to Renaissance comfort and aesthetics. Its grand spiral staircase, of which some fine sculpted features remain, reveals the influence of Loire Valley architectural styles on the Breton nobility of the 16th century. The mullioned windows and decorative details still visible on the jambs bear witness to a real artistic ambition, in stark contrast to the functional austerity of the lower medieval levels.
Related Figures
Famille Tournemine — lignée fondatrice du château, puissante noblesse bretonne du XIIIe au XVIe siècleOlivier de Tournemine — l'un des seigneurs ayant conduit la grande reconstruction du XVe siècleCharles de Blois — prétendant au duché de Bretagne dont les guerres de succession affectèrent le château au XIVe siècleJean de Montfort (Jean IV de Bretagne) — rival de Charles de Blois, dont le camp contrôla temporairement la régionProsper Mérimée — inspecteur général des Monuments Historiques dont l'action nationalisa la politique de sauvegarde du patrimoine dont bénéficia la Hunaudaye
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Château de la Hunaudaye located?
Château de la Hunaudaye is located in Plédéliac, Département 22 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Château de la Hunaudaye built?
Château de la Hunaudaye dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Château de la Hunaudaye open to visitors?
Château de la Hunaudaye is currently closed to visitors.