Manoir de la Touche-Brandineuf
ManorHidden Treasure
Manoir de la Touche-Brandineuf, located in Plouguenast (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
- Plouguenast, Département 22, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.2940, -2.6865
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00089485
A flamboyant Gothic jewel from the early 16th century, the manor house of La Touche-Brandineuf, with its staircase tower and pointed arched doorway, stands in the heart of inland Brittany, a rare testimony to the rural nobility.
History
Nestling in the hedged farmland of the Côtes-d'Armor region, the manor house of La Touche-Brandineuf is one of those Breton manor houses that have discreetly stood the test of time, far from the beaten tourist track. Its compact silhouette, punctuated by a prominent stair tower and punctuated by carefully dressed ashlar, reveals the ambition of an owner keen to show off his rank without excessive ostentation - the very spirit of the small Armorican nobility of the early Renaissance. What sets La Touche-Brandineuf apart from the many manor houses in Central Brittany is precisely the consistency of its architecture. Where so many similar buildings have undergone successive alterations and additions, this one retains a single stylistic unit: late flamboyant Gothic, as it was expressed in Argoat at the turn of the 16th century, before the first influences of the Renaissance began to influence local taste. The pointed-arch door with its archivolt of plant hooks is a bravura piece of work, a sculpted detail of unexpected finesse for a rural building. The visit is above all an experience of exterior contemplation, as the building remains in private ownership. The full extent of the monument can be appreciated by looking at the main façade, where the cylindrical tower creates a lively interplay of volumes, and by observing the quality of the local granite, which takes on golden hues in the low-angled morning or evening light. The commune of Plouguenast, in the Loudéac region, offers an unspoilt rural setting, far removed from the pressures of urban development. For lovers of medieval architecture and Breton heritage, this manor house is an invaluable stop-off point on a tour of the manor houses of Upper Inner Brittany, to be compared with the neighbouring seigneurial dwellings of Mené and Penthièvre. It bears witness to a pivotal period when Brittany, still theoretically a sovereign duchy, saw its nobility build with modest means but remarkable craftsmanship.
Architecture
The manor house at La Touche-Brandineuf is a rectangular, two-storey building, typical of the Breton manor house of the early 16th century. The building is constructed from local granite, a material almost exclusively used for construction in the Argoat region, which lends the whole a warm austerity, the bluish-grey tones of the rock coming to life with the light variations of the Breton sky. The roof, probably made of Anjou or Trélazé slate as was common practice in Brittany at the time, features a gable roof whose steep slope is suited to the rainy climate of the Armorican interior. The most remarkable architectural feature is undoubtedly the staircase tower on the main façade. This circular or polygonal tower, with a spiral staircase leading up to the different levels, is typical of 15th and 16th century Breton seigneurial architecture, and can be found in comparable manor houses in the same area. It gives the façade a welcome vertical movement and is reminiscent, on a smaller scale, of the great stair towers of contemporary ducal châteaux. The second distinctive feature is the pointed-arch entrance door: its archivolt with plant hooks - the sculpted motifs in the shape of buds or leafy crosses that decorate the outer rib of the arch - is a signature of the late flamboyant Gothic style, and its meticulous craftsmanship indicates the work of a skilled stonemason, perhaps a travelling journeyman working for several noble building sites in the region.
Related Figures
Famille Brandin (ou Brandineuf) — probable famille seigneuriale fondatrice du manoir, XVe-XVIe siècleAnne de Bretagne (1477-1514) — duchesse dont le règne encadre la construction, symbole de la Bretagne transitionnelleProsper Mérimée (1803-1870) — inspecteur général des Monuments historiques, initiateur des grandes campagnes d'inventaire qui conduisirent à la protection de tels édificesNoblesse rurale du Penthièvre — classe sociale à laquelle appartenaient les propriétaires successifs du manoir
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Manoir de la Touche-Brandineuf located?
Manoir de la Touche-Brandineuf is located in Plouguenast, Département 22 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Manoir de la Touche-Brandineuf built?
Manoir de la Touche-Brandineuf dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Manoir de la Touche-Brandineuf open to visitors?
Manoir de la Touche-Brandineuf is currently closed to visitors.