Manoir du Vieux Bourg, ou maison dite le château de Merdrignac
CastleHidden Treasure
Manoir du Vieux Bourg, ou maison dite le château de Merdrignac, located in Merdrignac (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
- Merdrignac, Département 22, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.1913, -2.3949
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00089762
The former residence of the Seneschals of Merdrignac, this 17th-century Breton manor house with its characteristic U-shaped floor plan stands in the heart of the Old Town, a discreet reminder of a seigniorial justice system several centuries old.
History
In the heart of the commune of Merdrignac, in the Côtes-d'Armor department, the Vieux Bourg manor house stands like a forgotten fragment of the Breton Ancien Régime. Built in 1644, this seigniorial dwelling combines the sobriety typical of the civil architecture of inland Brittany with the dignity of an official residence: that of the local seneschal, representative of justice and order in the jurisdiction of Merdrignac. What immediately distinguishes the manor house is its U-shaped layout, typical of the homes of notable people in the Grand Siècle, organised around an enclosed courtyard bounded by two side wings framing a central body. The latter is pierced by a carriage gate and a pedestrian gate, a functional arrangement that says a great deal about both the administrative and residential role of the building: the carriages loaded with grain as well as the litigants summoned to appear before the seneschal used to enter here. The stonework of the building bears the marks of time: remodelled in the 18th and 19th centuries, it has undergone the successive transformations that most manor houses of this scale undergo, going from official residence to private home after the Revolution. Listed as a Historic Monument since 1990, it is nonetheless in a worrying state of repair, its owners having at one time considered demolishing it - a fate that heritage protection has now thwarted. For the curious visitor or the enthusiast for Breton rural architecture, the Vieux Bourg manor house offers an authentic interpretation of the heritage of inland Brittany, far from the crowds and museum reconstructions. Its charm lies precisely in this roughness, in the impression that the stones have not yet revealed all their secrets. Photographers in search of noble ruins and local historians will find precious material here.
Architecture
The Manoir du Vieux Bourg is in the tradition of 17th-century Breton civil architecture, characterised by a sober ornamental style that contrasts with the splendour of contemporary Loire or Parisian residences. The local cut stone, probably granite or schist from the surrounding area, structures the whole with a rigour that is both aesthetic and climatic: in the Merdrignac region, in the heart of the Landes de Lanvaux, the winters are harsh and the buildings have to withstand the winds of the Argoat. The U-shaped plan, the most remarkable element of the composition, organises the building around a courtyard open on one side. A central rectangular body, the main axis of the residence, houses the dual circulation system typical of semi-public residences: a carriage gate designed to allow carriages and carts to pass through, flanked by a pedestrian gate on a human scale, reserved for visitors on foot. This functional relationship between large and small entrances reflects the social hierarchy of the period. Alterations made in the 18th and 19th centuries altered some of the openings and perhaps the roof, whose original shape - probably a steeply pitched roof covered with Anjou slate or local schist - may have changed. Despite these successive alterations and the deteriorated state of the building as a whole, the Vieux Bourg manor house retains sufficient architectural clarity to be considered a representative example of a Breton seigneurial dwelling from the first half of the 17th century.
Related Figures
Les sénéchaux successifs de Merdrignac (XVIIe-XVIIIe siècle), officiers de justice résidant dans le manoirLe commanditaire anonyme de 1644, vraisemblablement un sénéchal ou un seigneur local ayant financé la constructionLes propriétaires post-révolutionnaires ayant assuré la transmission du bâtiment au XIXe siècleLes agents de la Direction Régionale des Affaires Culturelles de Bretagne ayant instruit le dossier d'inscription MH en 1990
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Manoir du Vieux Bourg, ou maison dite le château de Merdrignac located?
Manoir du Vieux Bourg, ou maison dite le château de Merdrignac is located in Merdrignac, Département 22 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Manoir du Vieux Bourg, ou maison dite le château de Merdrignac built?
Manoir du Vieux Bourg, ou maison dite le château de Merdrignac dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Manoir du Vieux Bourg, ou maison dite le château de Merdrignac open to visitors?
Manoir du Vieux Bourg, ou maison dite le château de Merdrignac is currently closed to visitors.