Discover | Castle and Gardens
Château de Combourg
CHÂTEAU DE COMBOURG
THE BIRTHPLACE OF ROMANTICISM
The Château de Combourg will steep you in a very long history of Brittany, from the Middle Ages to today. French
writer and politician François-René de Chateaubriand spent his childhood here and immortalised it in his
Mémoires d’outre-tombe. By turns a protective fortress, the birthplace of romanticism, and the setting of Arthurian
legends, this château of multiple lives still houses the descendants of the Chateaubriand family. Entirely restored in
the 19th century under Viollet-le-Duc, it is open to visitors from April to November.
There are a thousand reasons to come visit the Château de Combourg and its English garden.
Here are but a few… Follow the guide!
Immortalised by Chateaubriand in his Mémoires d’outre-tombe, the Château de Combourg evokes the youth of one of the greatest French writers
of the 19th century. But to understand the history of this fabled place, one must go back to a much older story, in the medieval era. Since the
Middle Ages, the château has not ceased to evolve in its functions, its constructions and its inhabitants.
A thousand years ago, at the beginning of the 11th century, the first dungeon at Combourg saw the light of day. The bishop of Dol had this fortress
built to protect his cathedral, and his brother, Rivallon, became the first Lord of Combourg. Three towers were added to the fortress which saw
its construction completed in the 15th century with the Tour du Croisé. Thus extended, the château resembled a “four-wheeled tank” *, ready to
defend the border of feudal Brittany.
All through the Middle Ages, the lords of Combourg participated in feudal clashes up until the end of the 15th century when the duchy of Brittany became part of the kingdom of France. In 1761, René-Auguste de Chateaubriand, the head of a very old Breton family and the future father of the writer, bought the Château de Combourg from his uncle. He settled there in 1777 with his wife and their children, among whom was their youngest son, François-René de Chateaubriand, age eight. His father died three years before the French Revolution. Seized in 1794 during the Reign of Terror, the Château de Combourg would be returned to the family two years later in a derelict state; in part burned and pillaged, it remained uninhabitable for eighty years. In 1875, the château was completely restored and transformed by Geoffroy de Chateaubriand, grandson of Jean-Baptiste (the older brother of the author) and his spouse Antoinette de Rochetaillé, to render it liveable again according to the tastes and customs of the 19th century. Their daughter, Sybille, made of it a military hospital during the First World War and lef t it to her great-nephew, Geof froy, Count de La Tour du Pin Verclause, thus ensuring the château remained in the family. Still the owners, the La Tour du Pin family lives in the fortress while ensuring its management and restoration.
… The source of the literary vocation of Chateaubriand
François-René de Chateaubriand wrote in Mémoires d’outre-tombe: “It was in the woods of Combourg that I became who I am.” By his own admission, the château of his childhood, the park that surrounds it, the town and the surrounding lands are at the source of his poetic and literary works. To visit these places and immerse yourself in them is to reconnect with
the genesis of a foundational work whose writing is both sensitive and virtuoso, and which influenced a whole generation of romantic writers. “I want to be Chateaubriand or nothing,” said a young Victor Hugo. Combourg is now cited as the birthplace of romanticism.
It is difficult to summarise at what point a childhood can be decisive in life and art, but in the case of François-René de Chateaubriand, it is enlightening to note that at the château, distractions were rare, comfort absent, the rooms dark and cold, and amusement not very frequent. In short, life there was austere, and above all, solitary. He and his sister, Lucile, had a childhood apart from the world. Like him,
she was a dreamer, and they shared the burden of a heavy solitude.
Evenings spent in Combourg between a taciturn father and a pious, melancholy mother make up the most famous pages of Mémoires d’outre-tombe. It was Lucile who inspired in her brother the vocation of writer, like a “divine whisper.” During your guided visit, you will have the opportunity to learn much more about the subject.
… The epitome of the fairy-tale castle!
The drawbridge has unfortunately disappeared, but the symmetrical facade with its two towers makes the Château de Combourg the epitome of the perfect fairy-tale castle. Ask your children or grandchildren to draw a fortified castle, and Combourg will appear under their pencil! Its lines hark back to this solid, protective construction emblematic of the Middle Ages and to all the childhood obsession around the feudal system and its history. This block of stone, rich with a history of more than a hundred years, will be there for millennia…
The guided tour of the interior of the château is also the occasion for young and old to dive back into the history of centuries past. You will discover all the areas open to visitors which make up more than half of the château: the first floor of the fortress, restored in the 19th century in a neo-gothic style by Ernest Trihle, a disciple of Eugène Viollet-le-Duc; its furniture and paintings; the childhood bedroom of François-René de Chateaubriand; the entrance hall; the staircase; the former guardroom; and the rampart tower which offers a stunning view on the
urroundings… Tour the 60-acre English garden, designed by the Bühler brothers during the restoration of the château in the 19th century, and relax under the shade of its centennial trees: oak, lime and chestnut. The romantic soul of Combourg and the spirit of Chateaubriand will descend upon you as you stroll in its gardens and wooded alleys.
… A living château, inhabited by the descendants of Chateaubriand
Listed as a historic monument, the château still belongs to the descendants of Jean-Baptiste de Chateaubriand, older brother of the writer. It is rare to be able to visit a château inhabited by its owners, even more so to visit one owned by the descendants of such an illustrious figure, for in many private châteaux open to the public, the managing owners live elsewhere. You will see that not only is the Château de Combourg certainly well kept, but it is kept alive! The owners and their teams are very invested in the life of the château in order to receive visitors in the best possible way during their guided tours.
Ask them in person about their typical day, and they will tell you with enthusiasm and humility that their profession is as absorbing as it is fascinating: adding to the daily tasks and administrative management of a château are the training of its teams, the welcoming of visitors, the organisation of events, all sorts of unexpected circumstances, park maintenance, and the important and costly renovation works, methodically carried out each year with the help of the Minister of Culture and the region… During your visit, remember that you can rent out part of the château and its park to give an unprecedented historical dimension to your events, which you can hold, for example, in the former guardsroom on the first floor.
… Legends who also give the place its reputation
A miraculous fountain that heals the blind, the Tranquil Lake in which the castle is reflected, the novels of the Round Table and the Brocéliande
Forest, stories of ghosts of which the most famous are the wooden leg and the black cat… many are the legends that surround the Château de Combourg and its grounds.
… A gourmet and artistic stop at the Voyager Café
You must not forget to make a stop at the teahouse, Voyager Café, to savour some artisanal pastries and to offer yourself books and souvenirs from the concept store. You will be warmly welcomed in a space of 200 m2 reimagined by architect Dominique Tosiani of the Maison Générale in Saint-Malo. It is the ideal cocoon to relive all the impressions made on you and to let your spirit immerse itself in the harmony of the place. This break will also serve as the occasion to discover the work of Finistère artist Thomas Godin who is exhibiting his engravings in Voyager Café through November. Originally from Saint-Pol-de-Léon in the north of Finistère, he lives and works in Landerneau and has entitled his exhibit “Brittany: My Anchor Point.” Spellbound by the colours and the chromatic diversity of the Breton landscapes, this 36-year-old self-taught artist explores all possibilities of the technique of engraving. An ode to Brittany, its culture and its language, the work of Thomas Godin also turns outward towards the world, in the image of the Château de Combourg that welcomes him.
… Regular meetings, activities and shows
The château regularly organises numerous events and shows, notably the Easter Shows with medieval battle reenactments, jousting and knights tournaments; the Romantic Floréals in spring with an open-air market for flowers and rare plants, artisans, medieval dances and jazz concerts; the Horse Festival in summer; the Heritage Days; and Halloween in autumn… The Combourg-Chateaubriand literary prize is awarded each year to a writer whose style honours the memory, work and spirit of François-René de Chateaubriand. In 2022, Laëtitia de Witt was distinguished for L’Aiglon, Le rêve brisé de Napoléon (L’Aiglon, Napoleon’s Shattered Dream) published by Tallandier. The programme in its entirety can be found on the Château de Combourg’s website and social media pages. Do not miss these events for the whole family or between friends.
23 Rue des Princes 35270 Combourg
