Château du Logis
CastleHidden Treasure
Château du Logis, located in La Chapelle-aux-Filtzméens (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
- La Chapelle-aux-Filtzméens, Département 35, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.3836, -1.8381
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00090522
Nestling in Ille-et-Vilaine, the Château du Logis features 16th and 17th century buildings set around two seigniorial courtyards, crowned by a remarkable dovecote with three thousand niches and a unique revolving ladder.
History
In the heart of the Breton bocage of La Chapelle-aux-Filtzméens, Château du Logis stands with the aristocratic discretion typical of the great rural residences of Ille-et-Vilaine. Far from the excessiveness of the châteaux of the Loire, it embodies the Breton seigneurial model, where architecture speaks of utility as much as prestige: two interlocking rectangular courtyards, well-ordered outbuildings, a monumental dovecote and moats preceded by a box hedge trimmed like a jewel box. What makes this estate truly unique is the coherence of its buildings. The château itself, built in the 17th century with a pavilion preserved from the previous century, sits in harmony with its agricultural outbuildings to the north. The interior is full of surprises: elegant Louis XV wood panelling testifying to the redesign carried out around 1750, which transformed the flats into refined spaces worthy of the great families of Breton nobility. But it is undoubtedly the dovecote that stands out as the masterpiece of the estate. Preserved in its seventeenth-century state, it houses no fewer than three thousand carefully-constructed niches, served by a revolving ladder that is still in place - a rare device that makes it possible to reach every cell. In France under the Ancien Régime, owning such a dovecote signified rank, power and fortune: only the most important lords had the privilege. The surrounding setting adds to the magic of the place. The hundred-year-old box hedge before the moat forms a planted boundary between the ordinary world and the lordly space, while the farm buildings to the north are a reminder that this castle was first and foremost a living estate, rooted in the economic realities of rural Brittany. Listed as a Historic Monument in 2013, Château du Logis represents a preserved heritage, far from the tourist crowds, that lovers of authenticity will appreciate.
Architecture
Château du Logis has a double courtyard layout, typical of large Breton manor houses. The main courtyard, which is residential in nature, contains the manor house itself - a sober building with regular lines inherited from the 17th century - flanked by the 16th-century pavilion with more moulded openings. The facades, built of local stone, probably granite or schist in keeping with the building traditions of the Dol basin, give the building the luminous austerity so characteristic of Breton civil architecture. The north courtyard, used for agricultural purposes, brings together the farm buildings in a functional layout that reminds us that the château was first and foremost a farming centre. The dovecote is the most spectacular architectural feature of the estate. A cylindrical or square building in the Breton tradition of the 17th century, it retains intact its three thousand interior niches arranged in concentric rows, as well as its revolving ladder - a millstone mounted on a central axis allowing access to each square without moving a fixed ladder. This type of equipment is extremely rare in its state of preservation. Inside the dwelling, the wood panelling created around 1750 is the other architectural highlight. In the Louis XV style, they feature panelling at sill height, painted or carved trumeaux and fireplace surrounds with curves characteristic of the Breton provincial rococo style. The trimmed box hedge that runs around the moat and the dovecote contributes to the overall landscape composition, linking the built volumes in a subtle dialogue between architecture and domesticated nature.
Related Figures
Jean Sans Terre — roi d'Angleterre, dont les raids dévastateurs sur le diocèse de Dol au début du XIIIe siècle furent l'élément déclencheur de la construction d'un édifice protecteur sur ce siteLes moines du prieuré de la Chapelle-aux-Filtzméens — communauté ecclésiastique médiévale au service de laquelle le premier logis seigneurial fut érigé comme refuge et protectionLa famille seigneuriale du XVIIe siècle — bâtisseurs du château actuel et du remarquable colombier à trois mille niches, dont l'identité précise mériterait des recherches archivistiques approfondiesLe ou les maîtres maçons du XVIIe siècle — artisans anonymes responsables de la construction du colombier et de son dispositif d'échelle tournante conservé intactLe commanditaire des boiseries (vers 1750) — propriétaire éclairé qui fit appel à des menuisiers-sculpteurs bretons maîtrisant le style Louis XV pour transformer les intérieurs du château
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Château du Logis located?
Château du Logis is located in La Chapelle-aux-Filtzméens, Département 35 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Château du Logis built?
Château du Logis dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Château du Logis open to visitors?
Château du Logis is currently closed to visitors.
