Le Saint-Esprit-des-Bois
22270 Plédéliac
Tél. +33 2 96 34 82 10
www.la-hunaudaye.com
The History
A castle and a family, the Tournemine's
The Hunaudaye’s castle was built by Olivier Tournemine around 1220. In that time, this castle protected the eastern border of the Penthièvre (Lamballe’s area), which was involved in a feud with the Poudouvre (Dinan’s area).
The castle was destroyed in 1341, during the war of Brittany Succession, a civil war that ravaged the Brittany dukedom during two decades. At the end of the 14th century, Pierre Tournemine started the reconstruction of the castle according to the latest military innovations, the three bigger towers and the dwellings were built in that period.
At the end of the 15th century, the Tournemine family became powerful within Brittany dukedom. In 1487, they were granted the title of « Baron de la Hunaudaye ». By the 16th century, their seigneury represented more than 80 parishes. In addition, they owned various other lands, seigneuries and castles in the Tregor area and also others in the vicinity of Nantes.
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From Renaissance to French RevolutionThe golden age of the castle began in the early 17th century, as the Tournemine family gently faded away. The Renaissance stairs of the western dwelling are the last elements built and the medieval castle was fitted to the new architectural standards. However, decline is on the way. The castle becomes less maintained. The lands and seigneuries are gradually sold out and the weeds begin to grow. The castle is raided and torched during the French Revolution. By the 19th century, people used the castle as a quarry for stone and thus many of its buildings disappeared. The northern part of the castle collapsed in 1922. It was that, the French government immediatly tried to save the castle by classing it as a historical monument and by buying it out in 1930. |
