What was the original purpose of the site?

The site was an industrial forge from 1756 onward, equipped with a blast furnace that was later repurposed as a water reservoir when the estate was transformed.

When did the château take its present form?

The master foreman's house, built in the 1760s, was remodelled into a Neo-Louis XIII château in the 19th century, enlarged in the 1850s, and given two lateral pavilions at century's end.

Who designed the gardens?

Landscape architect Killian drew up a garden plan in 1888, though the initial design was not executed; formal parterres of clipped box were created in the 1900s to provide work for unemployed labourers.

What buildings comprise the protected site?

The listing protects the château, chapel, two court-flanking buildings ('the ambulance' and 'the small house'), foreman's house, farm, workers' dwellings, the 1932 hydroelectric plant, and the gardens, basin and nymphaeum.

Château des Forges de Lanouée

Forges de Lanouée

Access

No visits on recordNo opening hours or ticketing found

Where: Forges de Lanouée

To make a day of it

Open within 20 km

Sleep nearby

château du Nedo (Nedo Castle)Accommodation on site28 km

Château des Forges de Lanouée stands in Forges de Lanouée (Morbihan), in the Bretagne region of France. The building is registered as a historic monument (dating recorded in the Mérimée database: 18th century, 19th century, first half of the 20th century). No visits are on record for this building.

The Château des Forges de Lanouée emerged from the conversion of an industrial site into a residential and landscaped estate. Founded in 1756 and centred on a master foreman's house built in the 1760s, the main building was remodelled in the 19th century in Neo-Louis XIII style, then enlarged with two symmetrical pavilions. The estate preserves the character of an entire community: besides the château stand a chapel, farm, service buildings, a hydroelectric plant, and workers' cottages arranged to organize collective life around formal gardens and a basin with nymphaeum.

What to know

The site encompasses a complete group of buildings dating from the 18th and 19th centuries, from the château to the workers' settlement.
The interior of the main château includes a central hall with wooden staircase, reception rooms and dining room, as well as a former kitchen preserved in the basement.
Beyond the château, visitors may see the chapel enlarged in 1895, the hydroelectric plant built in 1932, and service buildings known as 'the ambulance' and 'the small house'.
The entire estate, including formal gardens, basin and nymphaeum, is protected as part of the historical monument designation.

Where this château is

Forges de Lanouée · Morbihan · Bretagne

Map of the area around Château des Forges de Lanouée

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This châteauChâteaux within 40 km

Address

Forges de Lanouée, Morbihan

Directions open from wherever you are, by car or public transport.

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Heritage status: Registered historic monument (inscrit); Mérimée record PA56000065
Period of construction: 18th century, 19th century, first half of the 20th century

Frequently asked

What was the original purpose of the site?: The site was an industrial forge from 1756 onward, equipped with a blast furnace that was later repurposed as a water reservoir when the estate was transformed.
When did the château take its present form?: The master foreman's house, built in the 1760s, was remodelled into a Neo-Louis XIII château in the 19th century, enlarged in the 1850s, and given two lateral pavilions at century's end.
Who designed the gardens?: Landscape architect Killian drew up a garden plan in 1888, though the initial design was not executed; formal parterres of clipped box were created in the 1900s to provide work for unemployed labourers.
What buildings comprise the protected site?: The listing protects the château, chapel, two court-flanking buildings ('the ambulance' and 'the small house'), foreman's house, farm, workers' dwellings, the 1932 hydroelectric plant, and the gardens, basin and nymphaeum.