This is a very nice property off the beaten path in my beautiful Morbihan dept 56 breton of my lovely Bretagne in my belle France! The first time, I saw an antique auto show event and decided to take a look and found out this is a beautiful palace out in the woods! As the property is huge, I have split the story into the palace side and the gardens side. The older post combine the two but I am updating it too. Hope you enjoy the Domaine de Kerguéhennec of Bignan, the palace!
On the Domaine de Kerguéhennec ,which is gorgeous and worthy of the title the Versailles of Brittany (smaller of course). It is now a center for contemporary arts spread all over the property as well and a great area for picnics and just family outings. You take the voie express or fast road N165 to exit with the D767 direction Pontivy. Then it becomes direction Locminé, then St Jean Beveley, and Bignan 56500; you have well posted signs all the way so by car is very easy to find. Plenty of free parking when you get to the Domaine.
The Château de Kerguéhennec, (Domaine for the whole , the Castle is in the middle of the property) nicknamed the Versailles Breton, is an 18C castle located in Bignan. It is about 20 km north of Vannes, in the direction of Pontivy, the castle of Kerguéhennec was built in 1710 for two wealthy Swiss financiers from St. Gallen but settled in Paris, the Hogguer brothers, shareholders of the company of the India.
Thereafter, it goes thru a period of inheritance of different families such as in 1732, acquired as a land of agricultural and forestry by Guy-Auguste de Rohan , Count of Chabot, famous for having ordered taken prisoner Voltaire, who did not reside there. His son, Louis-Antoine de Rohan-Chabot , duke of Rohan, was to be separated shortly after the French revolution. The estate was acquired in 1802 by the Count Louis Henri de Janzé , then, sold by his grand-son Count Louis Albert Henri de Janzé in 1872, then by Paul-Henri de Lanjuinais, the 3rd Earl of Lanjuinais, deputy and President of the General Council of Morbihan, his cousin, who then lavishly restored it.
The estate will then pass by inheritance to Marie Louise Marguerite Lanjuinais, daughter of Paul Henri Lanjuinais and wife of Arthur Espivent de La Villeboisnet. Finally, the eldest daughter of the latter, Elisabeth Anne Marie Espivent de la Villesboisnet, became Countess Pierre Humières in 1933, who will inherit it herself by way of In division in 1943. It is she who on January 19, 1972 will sell the Domaine de Kerguéhennec to the Department of Morbihan.
In 1986, an open-air sculpture garden was built in the park. In 1988, a contemporary art center was installed in the castle’s dependencies. The estate also houses a cultural meeting center that hosts musicians and composers in residence. Always something going on there.
In 2010, the Department of Morbihan decided to create, within the Domaine de Kerguéhennec, a departmental property, a research and creation center dedicated to the work and life of Pierre Tal Coat. Since that date, the Department has been building up, by way of donation and acquisition, a now rich collection of some 1,200 works including over 400 engravings and 500 drawings. Exhibitions are regularly presented there, artists and researchers welcome in residence, meetings promote exchanges between artists, art historians, writers … A publishing policy completes this system. Pierre Tal Coat (1905-1985) is one of the most important artists of the 20C and one of the few to have been exhibited at the Grand Palais of Paris during his lifetime, in 1976. Friend of Giacometti, Nicolas de Staël and Gertrude Stein, he is considered one of the greatest landscape painters. He is the painter of the elements (earth, water, air) that he reproduces in his paintings, watercolors and drawings, of which the Department of Morbihan has one of the most remarkable sets. Webpage: https://webmuseo.com/ws/tal-coat/app/collection/expo/1
Some webpages to help you plan your trip here are:
The official Domaine de Kerguéhennec webpage: https://www.kerguehennec.fr/le-domaine
The Bretagne/Brittany tourist board on the Domaine de Kerguéhennec: https://www.brittanytourism.com/destinations/the-10-destinations/heart-of-brittany-kalon-breizh/the-kerguehennec-estate/
The Central Morbihan area tourist board on the Domaine de Kerguéhennec: https://www.centre-morbihan-tourisme.bzh/bouger/sorties-en-famille/13-le-domaine-de-kerguehennec-a-bignan.html
Another nice outing in my neck of the woods all wonderful, beautiful Domaine de Kerguéhennec in little Bignan. Hope you enjoy the off the beaten path find in my area. If around and the car show is on, will be perfect way to come in , otherwise for the architecture and history of it is enough for me. Hope you enjoy the post as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 
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