The Château de Largoët, also known as the Tours d’Elven (Elven Towers), is a medieval castle in Elven, in the Morbihan département of France, 13 km from Vannes.
History
A castle is mentioned for the first time in 1020, belonging to the baron of Elven, Derrien I, but the present building was constructed between the 13th and 15th centuries. The manor became the property of the Malestroit family in the 13th century. The houses of Blois and Montfort fought for it during the Breton War of Succession, before it came to the Rieux family in the 15th century. It was during this period (between 1474 and 1476) that Jean IV, lord of Rieux, protected Henry Tudor, Duke of Richmond, future King Henry VII of England. In 1490, Charles VIII of France, dismantled the castle, but it was restored under the influence of Anne de Bretagne.
Nicolas Fouquet bought it in 1656 and, after his death, it was sold to Michel de Trémeurec and stayed in his family. In the 19th century, it was proposed to demolish Largoët, given its dilapidation, but it was saved thanks to Prosper Mérimée, who had it classed as a monument historique in 1862. Beginning in the 1970s, there has been a programme of restoration.
Architecture
The ruins of Largoët maintain their imposing aspect, notably because of the 14th century octagonal keep. At 45 m, it is one of the highest in France (for comparison, the keep at the Château de Vincennes reaches 52 m). There are five floors and the walls are between 6 and 10 m thick. On the sixth or seventh floor is the room where Henry Tudor stayed.
As well as this colossal edifice, Largoët also boasts
A 15th-century gatehouse, marking the entrance to the fortress, built against another 13th-century building.
A round tower of three storeys, from the 15th century, with cannon openings on the first level, and covered with a hexagonal building. It was furnished in the 20th century as a hunting lodge. It has been used as a location for historical films, including Lancelot du Lac and Chouans.
The remains of the enclosing walls, dried up moats and a lake.
The ruins of a construction known as an ice house (glacière), used as a food store.
The entrance to a vast cellar which was used to store wood.
An underground mystery
An underground tunnel at one time provided an exit from the fortress, but its entrance has not been found. Works in the Lion d'Or inn, in the centre of Elven, could bring this to light.

Forteresse de Largoët

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According to tradition, the land of Tredion was once owned by the youngest sons of the Maison de Bretagne; At that time the castle was a hunter’s meeting place for the Breton dukes when they stayed at Elven. The construction probably dates back to the 14th century. There is a deed dated 1427 in which the existence of the Manor is mentioned.

Until the beginning of the 17th century, Tredion was part of Largoët which meant that the Lord who owned one of the fiefs also owned the other.

According to Hervé of Halgouet, a descendant of Alan the Great inherited Largoët which, in the 12th century was acquired by the Malestroit family.

The Malestroits owned Tredion until the middle of the 15th century.
In 1461, Françoise Raguenel, Lady of Malestroit, married Jean IV, Lord of Rieux and Rochefort, Marshal of Brittany. This Lord died shortly after the restoration of Tredion manor on the side of the building upon which he had had his coat of arms sculpted.

Claude I de Rieux, son of Jean IV and of Isabeau de Brosse, his third wife, inherited Largoët and Tredion in 1518. After his death in 1532, Suzanne de Bourbon managed his estate. Tredion was bequeathed to Renée of Rieux who married Louis de Saint-Maure, marquess of Nesle in 1541.

Renée de Rieux died in December 1567 leaving no children. Her property, including Tredion, was inherited by her nephew Guy-Paul de Coligny (1555-1586).

In 1584, two years before his death, Guy-Paul de Coligny sold Largoët and Tredion to the Princess of Salm, his mother-in-law.

Anne de Coligny, daughter of the Princess of Salm, then inherited Largoët and Tredion which she sold on 7 July 1613 to Jean de Rieux-Assérac. After his death, in 1630, Jean-Emmanuel de Rieux-Asserac, governor of Guérande, inherited Tredion, but he was soon deep in debt and had to resign himself to the sale of his property in 1643.
In 1650, as a reward for his services, Pierre II de Sérent obtained Letter Patents for the collection of his lands and the creation of a Viscountcy. But at the same time, Nicolas Fouquet (1615-1680), Superintendent of Louis XIV’s finances, purchased Largoët as he did not want to see it separated from Tredion. Fouquet tried in vain to recover Pierre de Sérent’s property.
It seems that Charles II of Lorraine, Duke of Elbeuf and Peer of France (1596-1657) was then the owner of Tredion. His wife, Catherine-Henriette, was the legitimate child of the King of France Henri IV and Gabrielle d’Estrées.
In fact, between 1650 and 1675, there is some doubt as to the name of the owner of the Lord’s residence.
There is, however, one certainty: in 1676, the heirs of Charles II de Lorraine had to sell “castle land, in the lordship of Tredion”. The purchasers were Louis Alvarez, treasurer of the his majesty’s Cents-Suisses and Martin Moisan, a burgher from Paris who, on 8 November 1683, by selling two-thirds to Marguerite Sapien, wife with separate property of Charles Fouquet de la Ferronnière (cousin of Nicolas Fouquet, Louis XIV’s intendant, who had amassed an enormous fortune during his life thanks to his employment positions, was at the origin of the treasure buried by Charles Fouquet, one of his relations, under an oak tree in the Castle gardens).
Charles Fouquet died at Tredion Castle, where he was interred in the chapel on 6 September 1704. His daughter, who inherited Tredion, also died at the Castle on 18 May 1740.
Guy-Joseph-Joachim de Lantivy, son of Sylvie Fouquet who had married Yacinthe de Lantivy on 25 January 1709 then inherited Tredion. He died on 13 January 1751 and was interred the next day “in the sepulchre of his ancestors, in the chapel of Tredion Castle”.
His son Jean-Louis de Lantivy became the owner of the castle but when the revolution took place, the custodian of Tredion preferred to make his escape.
After the upheaval of the revolution, the Castle was sold to citizen Guillenet. 6 November 1825, Guillenet sold the property to Pierre-Marie Tuffier, who in turn sold it on 21 July 1834 to Hippolyte du Fresne of Virel, who installed a furnace in Tredion, in 1840, to mould cast iron objects.
The extension of the Castle
Shortly after the death of his father, Henri-François-Eustache du Fresne of Virel decided to restore the Castle of Tredion in 1851-1852. This work, which was more in the way of a reconstruction, was entrusted to Jacques Mellet, an architect from Rennes. It was completed in 1859 and cost around 300,000 francs. Mellet only retained the openings from the XIV century building (the East part). This “dwelling” which was just the main building of a hotel without any military equipment was radically transformed by the addition of a perpendicular wing, on the North side. The capacity of Tredion Castle was increased from 9 to 34 rooms. The “castellation” of the castle was brought about by the construction of corner towers, which allowed it to change its status from that of manor house to castle in the architectural field.
Twenty-five years later, in 1844, Henri du Fresne of Virel decided to embark upon a second set of works. He entrusted this project to the Parisian architect Ch. Lorotte who then added “a second living area on the West end of the new wing” and “a large conservatory, with cast iron columns, which doubles the distribution of the lounges on the South side”. While Mellet took pains to ensure the elegance of the outside, Lorotte focused his efforts on the beauty of the interior.
Henri du Fresne, Count of Virel, died on 27 January 1892. He left 2 sons: Alban-Victor, heir of Tredion, and Olivier (born in 1841).
Alban de Fresne, Count of Virel, was the owner of the noble land of Tredion, Grégo (in Surzur) and Vaudequip (near Allaire) in Morbihan, of Virel (in Renac) in Ille-et-Vilaine, Plessis in Saint-Aubin-des-châteaux near Chateaubriand in Lower Loire and Percey in Yonne.
His son, Arthur-Conrad-Guillaume du fresne of Virel, born on 14 January 1878, inherited Tredion. He died on 28 October 1915 at the age of 37. His son Antoine-André-Alban du Fresne of Virel, born in Paris on 6 February 1906 inherited the Castle. He had one daughter, Antoinette. He died on 29 January 1940.
Antoinette du Fresne of Virel, heiress of Tredion married Viscount Jacques de Rougé.
A sales agreement was signed in favour of a property promoter from Vannes, Guy Turpin, on 22 October 1977 and the final deed was signed on 30 September 1978. Tredion entered a new era…
http://www.chateau-tredion.com

Château de Trédion

The Château du Plessis-Josso is a fortified 14th century manor house in the Morbihan département of France. The manor is located in the town of Theix, near Vannes. The manor-house is open for tours during the summer, and offers its main hall for hosting events and marriages as well as a small country cottage outside the enclosing walls.
History
Well-preserved and partially inhabited, the manor-house stands next to a large pond. This feudal Breton ensemble still has its fortified enceinte with towers and crenellated walls that protected it from the armed gangs and pillagers who were operating in the region during the Hundred Years' War and later during the Wars of Religion of the 16th century.
Built around 1330 by Sylvestre Josso, squire of the Duke Jean III during the turbulent period of the Breton War of Succession in the 14th century, it passed next by a powerful alliance to the Rosmadec family and served as a residence for dignitaries such as a bishop, sénéchaux and the governors of various Breton towns. In the late 18th century it became the property of the Le Mintier de Léhélec family who still live there today.
Plessis-Josso, like all 15th century manors in Brittany, had especially an agricultural function as the head of a domaine of 1,500 hectares spread over several parishes and with a population of nearly 500 inhabitants. It had several mills, baker's ovens, a chapel and a small private port in the Gulf of Morbihan. Its role was therefore political, economic and administrative.
Architecture
This medieval site is composed of several sections of varying architectural styles and eras: the main corps de logis dating from the 15th century with its Gothic dormer windows, a 16th-century Renaissance pavilion, Classical 17th century outbuildings, and a complete enclosing wall whose corner tower (tour d’angle) defended the access road that spans the causeway, between the lake and the mill.
The ground-floor hall has a very beautiful example of a crédence de justice (wall-cupboard built directly into the stone wall) that was used by the lord of the manor to place books and documents relating to the administration of the manor-court.

Château du Plessis-Josso

Le château de Kerguéhennec, surnommé le Versailles breton, est un château du xviiie siècle situé à Bignan (Morbihan). Il abrite aujourd'hui un centre d'art contemporain et un centre culturel de rencontre. Ce château fait l’objet d’un classement et d'une inscription au titre des monuments historiques depuis octobre 1988.
Histoire
Situé à une vingtaine de kilomètres au nord de Vannes, en direction de Pontivy, le château de Kerguéhennec a été construit en 1710 par l'architecte Olivier Delourme pour deux riches financiers suisses originaires de Saint-Gall mais installés à Paris, les frères Hogguer, actionnaires de la Compagnie des Indes.
En 1732, le domaine, est acquis comme terre de rapport agricole et forestier par Guy-Auguste de Rohan (1683-1760), comte de Chabot, célèbre pour avoir fait enfermer Voltaire, qui n'y réside pas. Son fils, Louis-Antoine de Rohan-Chabot (1733-1807), duc de Rohan, doit s'en séparer peu après la Révolution française. Le domaine est acquis en 1802 par le comte (Louis) Henri de Janzé (1784-1869), puis, vendu par son grand-fils le comte Louis Albert Henri de Janzé en 1872, par Paul-Henri de Lanjuinais, le 3e comte de Lanjuinais (1834-1916), député puis président du conseil général du Morbihan, son cousin, qui le fait alors somptueusement restaurer par l'architecte parisien Ernest Trilhe.
C'est également le comte Lanjuinais qui fait aménager, en 1872, le parc de 170 hectares par le paysagiste suisse Denis Bühler, auteur en 1854, avec son frère Eugène, du parc de la Tête d'or à Lyon. Les abords du château sont traités à la française, tandis que le nord du domaine est aménagé dans le genre anglais. Il abrite également un arboretum.
Le domaine passera ensuite par héritage à Marie Louise Marguerite Lanjuinais, fille de Paul Henri Lanjuinais et épouse d'Arthur Espivent de La Villeboisnet. Enfin, la fille aînée de ces derniers, Elisabeth Anne Marie Espivent de la Villesboisnet, devenue comtesse Pierre d'Humières en 1933, qui en héritera elle-même par sortie d'indivision le 12 juillet 1943. C'est elle qui le 19 janvier 1972 vendra le Château et le domaine de Kerguéhennec au département du Morbihan.
Le domaine aujourd'hui
Le domaine est la propriété du département du Morbihan. En 1986, un jardin de sculptures en plein air a été aménagé dans le parc à l'initiative de la direction régionale des Affaires culturelles et du fonds régional d'art contemporain. Il présente une trentaine de sculptures contemporaines, notamment de Richard Long, Giuseppe Penone, Toni Grand et Dan Graham. Jean-Pierre Raynaud présente mille pots rouges dans l'ancienne serre. Marta Pan propose un parcours d'eau. Malachi Farrell a créé un bouillonnement permanent sur le lac, originellement conçu comme un miroir d'eau.
En 1988, un centre d'art contemporain a été installé dans les dépendances du château. Devenue annuelle, la programmation investit désormais le premier étage du château lui-même.
Le domaine abrite également un centre culturel de rencontre qui accueille en résidence des musiciens et des compositeurs. Il a été dirigé de 1992 à 1999 par Denys Zacharopoulos, de 2000 à 2010 par Frédéric Paul.
Depuis 2010, le domaine présente une exposition permanente consacrée à Pierre Tal-Coat.
Près de 60 000 visiteurs ont été accueillis au domaine en 2015.
Liste des œuvres du parc de sculptures
Étienne Hajdu, Sept Colonnes à Mallarmé, 1967-1971
Ulrich Rückriem, Bild Stock, 1985
Markus Raetz, Mimi, 1985-1986, béton, dépôt du Fonds national d'art contemporain
Richard Long, Un cercle en Bretagne, 1986
François Bouillon, Cène d’extérieur, 1986-1987
Ian Hamilton Finlay, Noms de plaques, noms d’arbres, 1986
Marta Pan, Parcours flottant n° 1 et 2, 1986
Giuseppe Penone, Sentier de Charme, 1986
Jean-Pierre Raynaud, 1000 pots bétonnés pour une serre ancienne, 1986
Pierre Tual, Grande oblique, 1986
Maria Nordman, Fragment pour une cité future, 1987-1989
Keith Sonnier, Porte-vue, 1987
Toni Grand, Sans-titre, 1988
Carel Visser, L’Oiseau Phénix, 1989
François Morellet, Le Naufrage de Malévitch, 1990
Marina Abramovic, Crystal cinéma, 1992
Élisabeth Ballet, Trait pour trait, 1993
Pierre Tual, Bleu Méditerranée, 1995
Harald Klingelholler, Mit Buchstaben der Worte : Unrecht schreit [avec les lettres d'Injustice crie], 1995-2003
Richard Artschwager, Step to Entropy, 2003
Hreinn Fridfinnsson, Second House, 2007
Rainer Gross, Au bout, 2011
Pierre-Alexandre Remy, Portrait cartographique, 2012
Julien Laforge, Mimesis, 2012
Jean-François Feuillant, N'habite plus à l'adresse indiquée, 2014
Pierre-Alexandre Remy, Portrait cartographique, 2012
Marcel Dupertuis, Lichtung 1 (Clairière), 2013
Julien Perrier, Ludwig, 2014
Nicolas Fedorenko, Paysage spirituel, 2014
Roland Cognet, Chêne, 2014
Matthieu Pilaud, La Hache et la rose, 2014-2015
Simon Augade, Soulèvement, 2016

Château de Kerguéhennec

The Zoo and Botanical Garden of Branféré (French: Parc animalier et botanique de Branféré) is a 35-hectare (86-acre) zoo and botanical garden located in Le Guerno, Morbihan, Brittany, France.
The park is open daily except in winter, and an admission fee is charged. Visitors can see the animals roaming freely in a centuries-old botanical garden.
History
From 1662 until 1988, the garden was a private estate, with a château built in 1848 by the family of Freslon Freslonnière. It was acquired in 1884 by Casimir Jourde, whose grandson Paul became a wildlife painter and world traveler. In the 1930s Paul and his wife, Hélène Castori, having discovered a game reserve maintained by Khengarji III, Maharao of Kutch, decided to create an "animal paradise" at Branféré by letting exotic animals from around the world acclimatize to the property and roam free, creating a park where animals and humans could interact. In 1965 the park opened to the public after thirty years of development, and in 1988 it was bequeathed to the Fondation de France.
Animals
Today the park contains almost 1,000 animals representing nearly 150 species, including antelope, gibbons, hippopotamus, lemurs, llamas, prairie dogs, tapirs, wallaby, zebras, and yaks, as well as flamingos, parrots, pelicans, and storks, all set within landscapes of prairies, waterfalls, and small islands. Its grounds have displayed botanical plantings since the 18th century, and today contain about 70 species of trees and shrubs including araucaria, azaleas, camellias, laricio pines, rhododendrons, sequoia, and a 300-year-old weeping specimen listed as one of the remarkable trees in France.
Education
The Fondation de France, in collaboration with the Fondation Nicolas Hulot pour la Nature et l'Homme and the commune of Muzillac have created the Nicolas Hulot School for Nature and Man, open since 2004 at Park Branféré.