Château de Kerouzéré

The Château de Kerouzéré is a 15th century Breton château (or manor-house) in the "commune" of Sibiril in the Finistère "département" of France.

The château was built in granite in the first half of the 15th century for Jean and Yves de Kerouzéré, seneschal of Morlaix, and followers of the dukes of Brittany. Visible from the sea, Kerouzéré was dangerously exposed and was particularly vulnerable to English attacks. As such the duke permitted him to erect a single tower of more than twenty-four feet in width with crenellations and ditches. This construction caused a major controversy with the neighboring seigneur of Kermorvan. [Jones, Michael, The Creation of Brittany, London: The Hambledon Press,1988, pp 53-54] As a result from 1466 the building was always unfinished, and in 1468 François II had to grant a second authorization for its completion. The original tower is the part of the manor-house located to the west of the current entry (the window of the chapel sits above it).

It was besieged in 1590 during the French Wars of Religion and seriously damaged as the southeast tower was destroyed. It was rebuilt around 1600. There are four superimposed halls: the lowest hall is on the right of the entry and the upper-hall, arranged in the roof, gives access to the covered wall-walk. The kitchen, the common rooms and the private quarters, above, are directed towards the west. There were originally four corner towers; the moat, of which vestiges remained until the last century, has been filled in. The interior of the manor-house still has some 17th century wall paintings. The roof of the northwest tower was restored at the end of the 19th century.

It has been listed since 1883 as a "monument historique" by the French Ministry of Culture. [ [http://www.culture.gouv.fr/public/mistral/merimee_fr?ACTION=RETROUVER&FIELD_1=INSEE&VALUE_1=29276&NUMBER=3&GRP=0&REQ=%28%2829276%29%20%3aINSEE%20%29&USRNAME=nobody&USRPWD=4%24%2534P&SPEC=9&SYN=1&IMLY=&MAX1=1&MAX2=100&MAX3=100&DOM=Tous Ministry of Culture: Kerouzéré] , accessed 27 April 2008]

Today vistors to the castle can still see the armoury, chapel, stairs, wall-walk and the watchman's tower with a view over the sea. [Michelin Green Guide "Brittany", 1974 ISBN 206101151-9] There is also a 15th century dovecote still standing on the grounds.

ee also

*List of castles in France

External links

* [http://www.culture.gouv.fr/public/mistral/merimee_fr?ACTION=RETROUVER&FIELD_1=INSEE&VALUE_1=29276&NUMBER=3&GRP=0&REQ=%28%2829276%29%20%3aINSEE%20%29&USRNAME=nobody&USRPWD=4%24%2534P&SPEC=9&SYN=1&IMLY=&MAX1=1&MAX2=100&MAX3=100&DOM=Tous Ministry of Culture listing for Château de Kerouzéré] fr
* [http://www.culture.gouv.fr/public/mistral/memoire_fr?ACTION=CHERCHER&FIELD_5=LBASE&VALUE_5=IA00064946 Ministry of Culture photos]

Notes