And yes on my continuation of my latest road warrior escapades I arrive to Pleugueneuc !!! I like to tell you about this latest adventures in my lovely Bretagne !!! Finding new places that are nice enough to be in my blog, me think, Here is my testimony to this town ,castle ,and zoo park , a nice new find, hoping you enjoy it as I.
The town of Pleugueneuc is located in the department 35 of Ille-et-Vilaine in my lovely region of Bretagne. It is near the road D/N137 between Rennes, 40 km away and Saint-Malo, 33 km away. Pleugueneuc comes from the Breton Plou which means “parish” and Guéhenoc from the name of its founder. The name of the town is Plegeneg in Breton.
The Château de la Bourbansais located on the road to Saint-Pierre-de-Plesguen in Pleugueneuc . Built on Gallo-Roman remains in 1583 the castle and its French gardens ,by Jean Du Breil, lord of the Colombières manor. This castle seems to take its name from the Bourbans, a former noble family mentioned in the 15C. La Bourbansais is made up of two main buildings (17-18C) placed at right angles. This former residence of Members of the Parliament of Brittany has been in the same family since its construction in 1583. There was once a private chapel (dating from the 17C) and a flight. This castle then passed into the hands of Jacques Gervais Huart who decided to remodel it in the 17C. From 1731, this castle was the property of René Gabriel de la Forest, Count of Armaillé, who in 1745 modified the interior and exterior layouts. In 1806, Julie de La Forest d’Armaillé married Count Louis de Lorgeril de La Motte Beaumanoir.
In Pleugueuneuc, castle 1583, was quite similar to its current appearance. Renovated in 1745 in the style of the time, the interior was wood-panelled, paneled by a master carpenter, and the salons on the ground floor of the chateau were created. It is these last rooms that we visit and in the Louis XIV and Louis XV styles. The ground floor is arranged as a false floor, which ensures the sanitation of the whole. The reception rooms date from before the work of 1745 upstairs. The large room is decorated with Louis XIII woodwork. The little blue salon has remained in its original state with its woodwork and furniture, with the exception of the central chandelier in gilded sheet metal and Saxony flowers, of the same composition as the four sconces. It was destroyed by a fire started by the French revolutionaries during their visit to the castle on May 17, 1793, coming to collect household linen and mattresses to make lint for the hospitals of the region. The vestibule and dining room were decorated at the same time and are entirely wooded and covered with Aubusson tapestries. All of these parts are small. On the left, when arriving at the castle, the chapel is located in the courtyard after the moat. It dates from the 17C and was restored in 1920 but retains the decoration of the time of its construction. As it can be visited today, the castle is a residence whose oldest part, the south facade, dates back to 1583. In the 17C,a Baroque wing was built, a copy of the orangery of the Hôtel de Sully in Paris. The French gardens and their statuary were created under Louis XV.
The zoo is well laid out for families and makes it easy to observe the animals. The Forest of Elfik, the fun-educational course and the playground will appeal to the youngest. The visit is punctuated with entertainment: giraffe tasting, falconry show… Immersive experiences are offered as “falconer for a day”. The gardens are inspired by the Potager du Roi of Versailles. The Zoo de la Bourbansais presenting more than 500 animals over 10 ha, Founded in 1965 by Régis de Lorgeril and Josette Barbezat, the park is part of the Château de la Bourbansais. It is now the property of Olivier de Lorgeril, grandson of the founders. In 1980, on the occasion of the year of heritage, the parents of the current owner opened up part of the castle and its French gardens to visitors. In 1991, the grandson of the founders of the zoological park, Olivier de Lorgeril, took over the management of the Domaine de la Bourbansais. He is a member of a surviving family of French nobility and calls himself “count”. He moved to the castle with his family and undertook to boost tourist activities around the zoo and the castle. This new dynamic should allow, among other things, the restoration of the castle. In a setting several hundred years old, green, wooded and flowery, the zoological park is home to rare and unusual species, most of which are protected by international conventions. Eight islands make it possible to see the animals without any visual obstacle. The crew of the Bourbansais is made up of some 130 tricolor French dogs; this pack is considered one of the benchmarks of the breed. From April to September, the show which ends with a “cold quarry”, shows the great complicity existing between the dog, the horse and the man. It recalls the tradition of great hunting. The zoo has around fifty birds of prey, from the kestrel to the golden eagle. The shows allow, several times a day, to observe their hunting techniques. The visit of the castle is open for a supplement. 6 euros in addition to the zoo park 21.50 euros, total 27.50€ too expensive me think ! And no pictures allowed in the castle !
The official Castle/Zoo la Bourbansais: https://www.labourbansais.com/en/
The Ille et Vilaine dept 35 tourist office on the castle/zoo : https://www.ille-et-vilaine-tourism.com/offers/chateau-et-parc-zoologique-de-la-bourbansais-pleugueneuc-en-2728853/
There you go folks, another nice wonder of my lovely Bretagne, always more always will be more, This was a nice find in castle, zoo of Pleugueneuc nice finds indeed. If you have a family with younger children this is a good bet even if still think the price is high. Glad to have stop by, and looking forward to have it enjoy it with my readers.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
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