Kergurioné, the “chief of guard” of a historical heritage

It was once, at three minutes of the Bridge of the Trinité–sur–Mer (Morbihan), within a green framework, along the river of Crash landing, an authentic field. Formerly noble, pilot residence of an outstanding plot, the castle of Kergurioné became today a sumptuous private property, guardian of the history, occupied by an impassioned couple of old stones. Meeting.

European impact: From where does this passion for the old masonries come you?
The lord of the manor: Formerly, my grandparents had a very beautiful property. I grew in old stones. Their passion thus came to me very young person.
Did you dream to have a life of castle?
I was always impressed by my grandfather. He belonged to a family known as of the time haussmannienne. I wanted to walk in his steps and wished that my children live the life which it had had.
Was this a way of showing your father of what you were able?
I had twenty–seven years. To show my father that I could make of the things whereas I had not finished my studies yet, I bought a first mansion in ruin, near to Paris. It comprised sixteen parts with house of guard, stable, swimming pool and greenhouse. I entirely restored it during seventeen years.
… Whereas you are on the point of becoming anaesthetist? Did you have of them really time?
I became doctor by chance. I before very followed by the studies of technical training. I was supposed to return to Arts and Trades to the school of architecture of Strasbourg. This year, my mother had to undergo an intervention. It is there that I said to my father that I will make medicine. I was cardiologist, anaesthetist reanimator, then I co–founded association for the medical emergency of Paris. My days were 8 p.m. Also, as I slept little, I could devote all my weekends to the restoration. The disease of the old stones became over the years extremely acute.

Would this be you who renovated your Kergurioné hands?
Yes, for a large part and this during ten years, thanks to my technical training. I made all the bathrooms of the castle, because thirty years ago, nobody in Brittany could not cut marble marquetry. It is something of very particular. To create, realize, restore were always a passion and a pastime.

What then decided you with your wife, to buy Kergurioné?
My wife being originating in Brittany, we had at the top of buying there a day something. We had requested without true objectives a sleuthhound in a research which we thought improbable: that to find us a property in the gulf of Morbihan, with the feet in water, without exceeding a certain budget. We were far from imagining that it would return towards us also quickly. Hardly eight days after, it informed us that it had what we needed. Somewhat trapped with my wife in front of her speed of prospection, we went to visit the property of about twenty parts that it had to find us at the Trinité–sur–Mer.

It was thus Kergurioné. And you fell from there immediately under the charm?
We were in 1985. When I saw the woodworks of the large living room, I said myself: “it is not possible. People have a treasure under the eyes and they do not even see it!” We devoted ourselves with a little unconsciousness to Kergurioné by leaving free court to our imagination and by forsaking our first property which we sold thereafter. One made there for example of the rooms of style Louis XIII, Louis Philippe, Hollywood, Italian and a moresque bathroom…
You engaged with your wife in a Dantean project…
Yes. We had already a property which was enough for us very well and in which we had invested much. At the time, I was only anaesthetist. My economies represented hardly what it was necessary to buy Kergurioné. Also, a loan had me to be made. In 48 hours, I succeeded in securing the largest loan of the department of the Essonne for a second home. Let us recall that at the time, the rates were of 18.5%…

What means Kergurioné?
The village of the truth.

Which is its history?
In the old castle, whose ruins are always present, was held an event which marked the local history and that of Brittany. It is the conspiracy of Pontcalec in 1719. It was the attempt at rising against the tax to which several noble crac‘ hois took share. In 1820, there be a fire which almost very devastated. The new castle was thus built of 1840 to 1870 by a family member Martin who, of needle and thread, became Martin de Kergurioné. In one of the living rooms an immense chimney is where mix with the flowers of Lily and the Stoats, with on its lintel, the weapons of the dukes of Brittany “Rather to die that to betray. ” (Fights between the stoat and the fox)

What does that make you live a place marked by such a liability?
That recreates roots. Five generations profited from my “action”: my grandparents, my parents, myself, my children and currently my grandchildren. I hope that they will remember it.

Which are the families which lived in Kergurioné?
Small lords of province, following alliances. There was initially Coué which sat at the Parliament of Brittany, then Quirisec. Well after, there were Talleyrand Périgord and Martin.

Which is the characteristic of the castle?
Beyond its interior turret containing a its grid and spiral staircase with the intersected reinforcements protecting the windows in the ruins from the old castle, in fact the splendid woodworks of origin of the large living room go back to Louis XIV. They make 4.50 meters in height for 36 meters of developed. By the smoothness of their faces, one understands that their work is Parisian. The marquis de Poncallec who lived at the court, was undoubtedly inspired by the art of Louis XIV and thus brought a little magnificence in province. These woodworks were in the old castle. It is what made that we bought the property. We made them restore during one year in workshops of the Historic buildings in Anjou, then made we classify them with the Historic building of Brittany.
In spite of its size, the place seems to be on human scale…
Indeed. As soon as one is in his interior, one feels the ambient lifestyle of the time. Each part made it possible to walk on in the course of the day, according to its social activity and of the external luminosity.

By repurchasing it and renovating it, did you thus allow this heritage forgotten to find its noble letters?
One can say that.

But why then the public can‘t visit it?
It is a decision which we made with my wife. However, we wished to make benefit from people of its exceptional decoration by opening the living rooms at the time of marriages there. 50,000 people thus could benefit from the decoration of Kergurioné.

What is it park of 8 hectares?
It is natural with a scheduling from which we profit that now whereas it dates of more than 150 years. By important diversity, it represents a certain botanical heritage in which one finds palm trees, giant sequoias, hydrangeas, rhododendrons, cedars of Lebanon, beeches crimsons… A small vault dating from the end of the 19th century dedicated to Holy Anne as well as a very rare squat tower in Brittany, serving as watch are also part of the decoration. We also restructured the park by creating 1 km of roads in the forest. In 2004, the congress of the parks and gardens which was held in our walls said of Kergurioné that it was “a pearl in its ECRIN. ”

Is no subsidy brought to you?
None. The building is not classified. Only the woodworks are it. They could profit from a support of the State to a total value of 50%; We had to enclose the property by 2 km of wall. More than 2500 tons of stones were used during ten years by masons to manufacture it. On the other hand, we obtained the label of the Foundation of the Heritage like that of the Parks and Gardens of Brittany.

What then motivates you today to sell this haven of peace?
Because any good thing has an end. We were very happy there. My children are not interested to take it again. I have soixante–douze years. To remain with a house of 1000 meters ² and a park of 8 hectares which should be checked every five minutes, is not desirable any more. Like one says in Brittany, “now, we will reduce the aerofoil” and will take again with my wife something in the area which will not represent any more one physical load.

  

   

   

   

  

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