Manoir du Mail, anciennement appelé hôtel du Plessis
ManorHidden Treasure
Manoir du Mail, anciennement appelé hôtel du Plessis, located in Redon (Département 35), 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
- Redon, Département 35, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.6462, -2.0864
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00090669
At the gateway to the historic port of Redon, the Manoir du Mail boasts the façade of a wealthy merchant, a rare testimony to the opulence of 17th-century Breton trade.
History
The Manoir du Mail, also known to the people of Redon as the Hôtel du Plessis, is one of Redon's most historic districts. Nestling in the heart of the harbour district, it is one of the opulent residences that still dot the cobbled streets along the granite quays, taking visitors on a journey back to the 17th century merchant era. Just a stone's throw from the Vilaine and Oust rivers, this manor house exudes the bourgeois ambition and commercial success of a time when Redon was a hub of Breton trade. What makes the Manoir du Mail truly unique is that it is part of a coherent group of aristocratic and bourgeois residences built during the same period and in the same spirit. Its immediate neighbour, the Hôtel de Richelieu - whose square corbelled corner turret and windows with sculpted jambs have retained their superb appearance - forms an exceptional architectural diptych. Together, they evoke better than any words the prosperity of a port city that made its fortune trading in grain, timber and cloth from Laval. For visitors with a passion for architecture, a stroll through this district is like a lesson in living stone. The façades tell the story of a hierarchical but dynamic society, where merchants, shipowners, magistrates and the rural lords of the area vied with each other in elegance and ostentation in their urban residences. The Manoir du Mail, with its sober dignity, is one of the most convincing examples of this, and is listed as a Historic Monument. The general setting of the port district of Redon adds an extra dimension to the visit: the granite quays built at the same time, the presence of the nearby water and the surrounding medieval streets create an atmosphere particularly conducive to historical reverie. Photographers and lovers of urban architecture will find plenty of material for hours of exploration.
Architecture
The Manoir du Mail is part of the architectural tradition of seventeenth-century Breton middle-class residences, a synthesis between the still-vibrant medieval heritage and the classical inflections beginning to spread from Paris and the Loire. The sober, well-balanced facade adopts the language of local ashlar - probably Breton granite or sandstone - which gives the building the austere rigour characteristic of Armorican civil architecture. The evenly spaced openings bear witness to a well-thought-out composition that aims for clarity and harmony. The roof, probably made of slate - an omnipresent material in the region's traditional buildings - contributes to the building's severe yet elegant appearance. The overall massing, with its main buildings arranged around a courtyard or garden, is in keeping with the codes of the luxury residence of the period: an assertion of power without excessive ostentation, functional pragmatism tinged with aesthetic ambition. This manor house should be seen in constant dialogue with its neighbour, the Hôtel de Richelieu, whose square corbelled corner turret and windows with carved jambs add a more picturesque and overtly ornamental note. This contrast between the two buildings illustrates the diversity of architectural sensibilities at work in 17th-century Redon, between classicist sobriety and reminiscences of the late Renaissance.
Related Figures
François Menand — commanditaire et premier propriétaire, constructeur de l'hôtel du Plessis au XVIIe siècleLes Chéreil, seigneurs de la Rivière — famille noble qui acquiert la demeure lors de la vente judiciaire de 1755Les Menand, seigneurs du Brossay — branche cadette de la famille fondatrice, propriétaires ultérieursLes Fourché, seigneurs de Quéhillac — derniers seigneurs propriétaires connus à l'époque moderne
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Manoir du Mail, anciennement appelé hôtel du Plessis located?
Manoir du Mail, anciennement appelé hôtel du Plessis is located in Redon, Département 35 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Manoir du Mail, anciennement appelé hôtel du Plessis built?
Manoir du Mail, anciennement appelé hôtel du Plessis dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Manoir du Mail, anciennement appelé hôtel du Plessis open to visitors?
Manoir du Mail, anciennement appelé hôtel du Plessis is currently closed to visitors.
