Château de Perronnay
CastleHidden Treasure
Château de Perronnay, located in Romillé (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
- Romillé, Département 35, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.2146, -1.9207
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00090760
Érigé en 1653 au cœur de la Bretagne rennaise, le château de Perronnay séduit par son élégant perron à double révolution et ses pavillons caractéristiques de l'architecture classique de la région de Rennes.
History
Nestling in the leafy countryside of Romillé, some twenty kilometres north-west of Rennes, Château de Perronnay is one of those discreet jewels of Breton heritage that you discover with the satisfaction of a connoisseur. Listed as a Historic Monument since 1948, it elegantly embodies the tradition of the noble houses built in the Rennes region in the aftermath of the Wars of Religion, when peace finally allowed a new era of construction and embellishment. What immediately sets Perronnay apart is the skilfully composed balance of its façade: a central main building whose classical sobriety is enlivened by a magnificent double revolution staircase - two symmetrical flights of stairs that meet on a single landing, an aristocratic signature of 17th-century French architecture. On either side, two low-profile pavilions frame the whole discreetly, while a third pavilion to the south, topped by a spectacular imperial roof, adds a touch of fantasy to the composition, a welcome break from Breton austerity. A visit to this château is also a journey into the memory of a province that, after the upheavals of the League, was able to rebuild on the ruins of the past. Where once stood a medieval fortress razed to the ground by conflict, unknown but skilful hands have built a residence of pleasure that has not sought to impose its prestige but to blend harmoniously into its surroundings. Perronnay's typically Breton landscape, with its dense foliage and horizons bordered by hedged farmland, lends an atmosphere of intimacy and serenity that is rarely equalled. It's a château to live in as much as to look at, a building that speaks of the noblesse de robe of Rennes, its measured ambitions and its taste for elegance without ostentation.
Architecture
Château de Perronnay is a coherent, well-preserved example of classical Breton architecture from the third quarter of the 17th century, with its sober ornamentation counterbalanced by a clear focus on overall composition. The main building, elongated and punctuated with mullioned or transomed windows in keeping with regional tradition, is preceded by its most spectacular feature: a double revolution stoop whose two converging banisters are a statement of aristocratic elegance, an architectural motif inherited from the French Renaissance and very common in the middle-class and noble residences of the Rennes region. On either side of the central body, two lateral pavilions with little projection - i.e. only moderately exceeding the alignment of the façade - ensure the coherence of the composition without weighing down the whole. To the south, a third pavilion, slightly offset, is distinguished by its imperial-style roof: this domed, four-sided roof, characteristic of the classical French vocabulary of the Louis XIV era, adds an almost unexpected accent that testifies to the ambition of the builders. The materials used are probably ashlar limestone or Breton schist, in keeping with the local building tradition, with natural slate roofs from Anjou or the Rennes region, giving the building the grey and bluish hue so typical of the architecture of inland Brittany.
Related Figures
Les seigneurs de Perronnay du XVIIe siècle (commanditaires du château actuel, non identifiés avec certitude)Les maîtres d'œuvre ou entrepreneurs de maçonnerie rennais ayant conduit le chantier de 1653Les parlementaires rennais ayant pu résider ou posséder la seigneurie de Perronnay au XVIIe-XVIIIe siècleLes propriétaires qui gérèrent le domaine sous l'Ancien Régime et permirent sa transmission jusqu'à la RévolutionLes familles nobles bretonnes liées à la seigneurie de Romillé au moment de la construction
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Château de Perronnay located?
Château de Perronnay is located in Romillé, Département 35 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Château de Perronnay built?
Château de Perronnay dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Château de Perronnay open to visitors?
Château de Perronnay is currently closed to visitors.
