Puits de la Touche-Berthelot
MonumentHidden Treasure
Puits de la Touche-Berthelot, located in Plumelec (Département 56), is a Renaissance château built in the 16th century. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Renaissance (16th century)
- Location
- Plumelec, Département 56, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.8103, -2.5770
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00091544
In the heart of Morbihan, this 16th-century Renaissance well impresses with its octagonal granite coping, sculpted medallions and wrought-iron hoops - a heraldic jewel forgotten amongst the houses of Plumelec.
History
In the commune of Plumelec, nestling in the heart of Morbihan, stands a rare example of Breton Renaissance ornamental art: the Touche-Berthelot well. The only visible remnant of the former manor house of the same name, this hydraulic structure has transcended its utilitarian function to become a sculptural object of astonishing sophistication, listed as a Historic Monument in 1963. What is immediately striking is the generosity of the decorative programme applied to such a seemingly modest piece of equipment. The octagonal coping in local granite is punctuated by pilasters at each projecting corner, giving the whole an almost architectural appearance - as if a miniaturist had transposed the codes of a Parisian town house onto a simple rural well surround. Each face and return is adorned with sculpted panels, while the pilasters feature finely chiselled fleurs-de-lis, a reminder of the symbolic French identity as well as the noble pride of the commissioner. The medallion cartouches that adorn the sides of the octagon are perhaps the most attractive part of the ensemble. Their decorative elements - scrolls, arabesques, plant compositions and allegorical figures - betray an Italianate influence typical of Breton workshops in the mid-16th century, when the region's great families enthusiastically adopted the formal repertoire of the Renaissance. Four dice placed on the diagonals of the coping, carved in high relief with heraldic subjects, anchor this work in the aristocratic world of Brittany. A final surprise is in store: two wrought-iron arches intersect at the top of the dice, housing the pulley. This sober but elegant ironwork forms a light crown above the coping, harmoniously completing an ensemble that is in constant dialogue between the robustness of granite and the grace of the Renaissance. A monument to be observed slowly, looking for details that the centuries have not erased.
Architecture
The well at La Touche-Berthelot is based on a rigorous formal logic that immediately distinguishes this structure from simple contemporary farm wells. The curbstone adopts an octagonal plan - a symbolically charged geometric shape associated in medieval and Renaissance art with perfection and the transition between the earthly square and the celestial circle. Each projecting corner of this octagon is marked by a granite pilaster, an architectural element borrowed directly from Renaissance vocabulary, which visually structures the whole and gives it an almost monumental elevation despite its modest dimensions. The sculpted decoration occupies every available surface. The sides of the octagon feature medallion cartouches filled with Renaissance elements - scrolls, foliage, symmetrical compositions - testifying to a certain mastery of the Italianate repertoire in vogue in Breton workshops in the 16th century. The pilasters feature compartments decorated with fleurs-de-lys, combining royal symbolism with Breton heraldic tradition. Four square dice, placed on the diagonals of the coping and carved in high relief with heraldic subjects, crown this ensemble and provide the supports for the two crossed wrought-iron arches that carry the pulley block. This sober, functional metal device forms an elegant dialogue with the richness of the sculpted granite that frames it.
Related Figures
Famille Berthelot — lignée nobiliaire bretonne, propriétaire du manoir de la Touche-Berthelot et commanditaire probable du puits au XVIe siècleArtisans tailleurs de pierre bretons du XVIe siècle — auteurs anonymes du programme sculpté, héritiers des ateliers diffusant la Renaissance en BretagneAdministration des Monuments Historiques — responsable de l'inscription du puits le 14 octobre 1963
Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Puits de la Touche-Berthelot located?
Puits de la Touche-Berthelot is located in Plumelec, Département 56 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Puits de la Touche-Berthelot built?
Puits de la Touche-Berthelot dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Puits de la Touche-Berthelot open to visitors?
Puits de la Touche-Berthelot is currently closed to visitors.