Manoir de la Ville-Colas
ManorHidden Treasure
Manoir de la Ville-Colas, located in Trébédan (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
- Trébédan, Département 22, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.4177, -2.1559
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00089768
Discret joyau du XVIe siècle niché dans les bocages bretons, le manoir de la Ville-Colas dialogue à travers la route avec le château du Chalonge, formant l'un des ensembles seigneuriaux les plus cohérents des Côtes-d'Armor.
History
In the heart of the commune of Trébédan, in this inland Penthièvre region where moorland gives way to hedgerows and deep-set streams, the manor house of Ville-Colas stands with the sobriety characteristic of 16th-century Breton manorial architecture. Grey stone, sculpted dormer windows, balanced proportions: everything here exudes the permanence and solidity of a building designed to last, far from the ostentation of the great Loire mansions. What makes Ville-Colas truly unique is that it is part of a heritage ensemble of rare homogeneity. Opposite it, on the other side of a country lane, lies the Château du Chalonge, with its main courtyard, moat, orangery and chapel. The manor house is not an isolated satellite: it is the medieval and Renaissance component of this architectural diptych that the centuries have patiently built up, offering visitors a genuine dialogue between the 16th and 18th centuries. A visit to the site is more of a contemplative stroll than a museum tour. The green surroundings, the tranquillity of the Trébédan bocage and the quality of the local stone give the site an intimate, almost secretive atmosphere. Visitors sensitive to the rural architecture of inland Brittany will find a rare authenticity here, far from the beaten tourist track. Listed as a Historic Monument since 1990, the Manoir de la Ville-Colas enjoys protection that guarantees the preservation of its character. It bears witness to the vitality of the small nobility of Brittany during the Renaissance, who built their dwellings with particular care for ashlar and sculpted details, discreet but sure signs of an asserted social status.
Architecture
The manor house of Ville-Colas is in the tradition of 16th-century Breton seigneurial dwellings, characterised by a compact floor plan, dressed granite walls and a sober elevation that contrasts with the decorative exuberance of certain Loire châteaux. The main building, with one or two storeys, is probably topped with sculpted pediment dormers, a decorative element emblematic of the Breton Renaissance, demonstrating the modernity of its patrons while remaining within the domestic scale of a rural manor house. The materials used are those of the region: bluish granite extracted from local quarries in the Côtes-d'Armor region, carefully cut for the window surrounds, quoins and lintels, while the lower-quality infill uses coarser rubble. This duality between ashlar and rubble stone is characteristic of the constructional economy of middle-ranking Breton manor houses. The roofs, steeply pitched in accordance with regional custom, are covered in slate, a material that is ubiquitous in inland Brittany. In the context of the Chalonge complex, the Ville-Colas manor house acts as a historical counterpoint: where the 18th-century château displays its classical symmetry, ordered outbuildings and formal garden, the Ville-Colas contrasts the picturesque irregularity and granite robustness of the Renaissance buildings, creating a stylistic dialogue spanning several centuries that is one of the site's major assets.
Related Figures
Famille noble bretonne du XVIe siècle (commanditaires présumés du manoir, identité précise non établie)Constructeurs du château du Chalonge (vers 1785, famille propriétaire de l'ensemble du domaine)Architectes anonymes des orangerie et bûcher du Chalonge (1786)Paysagiste ou jardinier auteur du jardin à la française du Chalonge (1911)Inspecteur des Monuments Historiques ayant instruit le dossier d'inscription (1990)
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Manoir de la Ville-Colas located?
Manoir de la Ville-Colas is located in Trébédan, Département 22 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Manoir de la Ville-Colas built?
Manoir de la Ville-Colas dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Manoir de la Ville-Colas open to visitors?
Manoir de la Ville-Colas is currently closed to visitors.
