Château de Trémazan
Encyclopedia
The Château de Trémazan is a ruined castle
in the commune
of Landunvez
in the Finistère
département of France. It is located below the coastal road, hidden from the sea.
which, following a partial collapse during the winter of 1995, exposed the interior to reveal a habitable tower of four floors, each with one chamber.
. An old saying characterises Léon in these terms: "antiquité de Penhoët, vaillance du Chastel, richesse de Kermavan et chevalerie de Kergounadeac'h" (the antiquity of Penhoët, the bravery of Chastel, the wealth of Kermavan and the chivalry of Kergounadeac'h). However, by the end of the 16th century, the elder branch of the family died out for lack of a male heir.
The present castle goes back mainly to the 13th and 14th centuries. The castle would have been built on the ruins of a castellum
already existing in the 6th century. According to legend, Tanneguy du Chastel, founder of the abbey at Saint-Mathieu, was born here. The building became a stone castle around the 10th century. In 1220, it was destroyed during the war against the Duke of Brittany
, then rebuilt thirty years later by Bernard du Châtel. Sold as national property after the French Revolution
, the castle was abandoned in the 18th century. Apart from the 12th century square keep, remains include towers and the outer enceinte
dating from the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries.
for better dating of the building.
Until funds are found for its restoration, the association SOS Château de Trémazan has attempted to finance the establishment of a temporary protection against potential structural collapses.
It has been listed since 1926 as a monument historique
by the French Ministry of Culture.
In French Wikipedia
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
in the commune
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
of Landunvez
Landunvez
Landunvez is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France.-Population:Inhabitants of Landunvez are called in French Landunvéziens.-References:** ;-External links:* *...
in the Finistère
Finistère
Finistère is a département of France, in the extreme west of Brittany.-History:The name Finistère derives from the Latin Finis Terræ, meaning end of the earth, and may be compared with Land's End on the opposite side of the English Channel...
département of France. It is located below the coastal road, hidden from the sea.
Architecture
This beautiful medieval building, constructed on a rocky outcrop, has a square keepKeep
A keep is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word keep, but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residences, used as a refuge of last resort should the rest of the...
which, following a partial collapse during the winter of 1995, exposed the interior to reveal a habitable tower of four floors, each with one chamber.
History
The history of Trémazan is intimately linked to that of the du Chastel (or Châtel) family. It was they who built it and made it their principal residence for several centuries. The origins of this dynasty are still shrouded in mist, but with the passage of history, they became very prominent. So much so that Chastels ended up taking their place in the high Breton aristocracy and being counted among the four most important families of the Viscounty of LéonViscounty of Léon
The Viscounty of Léon was a feudal state in extreme western Brittany in the High Middle Ages. Though nominally a vassal of the sovereign Duke of Brittany, Léon was functionally independent of any external controls. It thus became the focus of revolts and wars when Brittany was drawn into the...
. An old saying characterises Léon in these terms: "antiquité de Penhoët, vaillance du Chastel, richesse de Kermavan et chevalerie de Kergounadeac'h" (the antiquity of Penhoët, the bravery of Chastel, the wealth of Kermavan and the chivalry of Kergounadeac'h). However, by the end of the 16th century, the elder branch of the family died out for lack of a male heir.
The present castle goes back mainly to the 13th and 14th centuries. The castle would have been built on the ruins of a castellum
Castellum
A castellum is a small Roman detached fort or fortlet used as a watch tower or signal station. The Latin word castellum is a diminutive of castra , which in turn is the plural of castrum ; it is the source of the English word "castle".The term castellum was also used to refer to a settling or...
already existing in the 6th century. According to legend, Tanneguy du Chastel, founder of the abbey at Saint-Mathieu, was born here. The building became a stone castle around the 10th century. In 1220, it was destroyed during the war against the Duke of Brittany
Duke of Brittany
The Duchy of Brittany was a medieval tribal and feudal state covering the northwestern peninsula of Europe,bordered by the Alantic Ocean on the west and the English Channel to the north with less definitive borders of the Loire River to the south and Normandy to the east...
, then rebuilt thirty years later by Bernard du Châtel. Sold as national property after the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, the castle was abandoned in the 18th century. Apart from the 12th century square keep, remains include towers and the outer enceinte
Enceinte
Enceinte , is a French term used technically in fortification for the inner ring of fortifications surrounding a town or a concentric castle....
dating from the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries.
Preservation attempts: SOS Château de Trémazan
Today, the non-profit association S.O.S Château de Trémazan attempts to preserve the castle and to increase the knowledge of its past. Thus, samples of the castle beams gave rise to a study of dendrochronologyDendrochronology
Dendrochronology or tree-ring dating is the scientific method of dating based on the analysis of patterns of tree-rings. Dendrochronology can date the time at which tree rings were formed, in many types of wood, to the exact calendar year...
for better dating of the building.
Until funds are found for its restoration, the association SOS Château de Trémazan has attempted to finance the establishment of a temporary protection against potential structural collapses.
It has been listed since 1926 as a monument historique
Monument historique
A monument historique is a National Heritage Site of France. It also refers to a state procedure in France by which national heritage protection is extended to a building or a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings, or gardens, bridges, and other structures, because of their...
by the French Ministry of Culture.
See also
- List of castles in France
- Tour TanguyTour TanguyThe Tour Tanguy, Bastille de Quilbignon or Tour de la Motte Tanguy is a medieval tower on a rocky motte beside the Penfeld river in Brest, France. Probably built during the Breton War of Succession, it faces the château de Brest and is now accessed by a road off the square Pierre Péron, at one end...
In French Wikipedia
- Famous member of the family: Tanneguy du Chastel
External links
- Ministry of Culture listing for Château de Trémazan
- Ministry of Culture photos
- Official site of the SOS association
- Casteland