Located in the commune of Saint-Goazec in Finistère, the Château de Trévarez is the very last castle to have been built in France. The work of a politician by the name of James de Kerjégu, it is famous for its eclectic architecture and its particularly moving history...
President of the Conseil Général du Finistère, James de Kerjégu was, at the end of the 19th century, an important politician torn between his local obligations and Parisian aristocratic life. In 1893, he decided to have a castle built on his native land of Trévarez, in Brittany. To do this, he called upon the architect Walter-André Destailleur and demanded that the castle be equipped with all possible modern conveniences: central heating, electricity, hot water and lifts were therefore installed throughout the estate, including in the areas reserved for servants.
Very fashionable at the time, the castle was designed in an eclectic style. Gothic architecture rubs shoulders with Baroque and Neoclassical elements and is distinguished from other Breton residences by the presence of red bricks.
Unfortunately for him, James de Kerjégu was unable to enjoy the beauty of his castle. He died one year after the end of the works, in 1908. For nearly 30 years, the castle of Trévarez knew a golden period. The owner's only daughter, Françoise, and her husband Henri de La Ferronays organised sumptuous receptions where all the eminent members of the French nobility met. Highly appreciated for the quality of its hunting, Trévarez is an ideal place for guests who are received in apartments with exceptional comfort.
All this came to an abrupt end with the outbreak of the Second World War. In July 1940, the castle was requisitioned by the Germans who used it as a resting place for sailors posted to the port of Brest.
On information from the Resistance, it was bombed by the Royal Air Force in 1944 when it had just been emptied of any human presence ...
Reaching the west wing on five levels and all the kitchens, the bombing reduced to ashes the ceremonial lounge and most of the reception apartments.
Abandoned by its owners, the castle was gutted and quickly became the target of much looting while nature regained its rights and began to cover what was, a few years earlier, one of the most beautiful homes in France.
In 1968, the estate was bought by the Conseil Général du Finistère, which began a gradual restoration of the château, its gardens and its majestic stables. Through hard work, the 85 hectares of park have regained their former splendour and are labelled "remarkable gardens".
There is an important collection of flowers and different areas: the romantic quarry, the Japanese garden, the Italian garden, the regular garden. In addition, magnificent views of the castle and the surrounding countryside make the walk particularly pleasant.
Also restored (and above all secured), the castle is open to visitors. It presents several rooms, partially in ruins. Incredible testimony of the bombardment, its discovery leaves one to imagine, with emotion, the traces of a vanished life.
Recently, the General Council has decided to use new technologies, based on period photos and engravings, to give the original decorations a chance to be imagined. Shelves make it possible to see what the castle might have looked like in 1907. The difference with today's reality is striking.
Today, the castle is known above all for the event it organises during the festive season. Illuminations on the facade, decorations in the gardens, a market, entertainment for the whole family... In Trévarez, the magic of Christmas works. Every year, the estate welcomes many visitors, some of whom come from far away.
An exceptional site with the "20th century heritage" label, the Château de Trévarez is truly unique. By the madness of its construction, the modernity of its spaces, the speed of its history and the path taken by the teams of the Department to restore it, this castle is well worth the detour.
Discover the castle's cultural programme.
Berengère for Comme des Français.
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