La Chapelle-Chaussée brings together a range of themes: the architectural history of Église Saint-Pierre, two estates with their own distinctive architecture, a marked walking trail and events at Médiathèque La Passagère. When planning a stay, you can focus on cultural history, a walk or a varied cultural programme. The Circuit du bourg is an easy, family-friendly 4-kilometre circular trail; the estimated walking time is about one hour.

A historic route through the town

Rue de Montmuran, now the D27, forms the central axis of La Chapelle-Chaussée. It follows the former road from Rennes to Corseul. Two periods therefore sit side by side: the road shapes how people navigate the town today, while its connection to Corseul belongs to an older route.

The château is also part of the town’s history. It lies east of the town centre and helped keep the landscape at the town entrance open. This relationship to its setting adds to the château’s architectural history, without being conflated with the history of the main road.

A church built over several centuries

Église Saint-Pierre offers several concrete ways to distinguish its different periods of construction: its nave dates from the 15th century, while the choir partly dates from the 18th century. The church also retains a flamboyant window and a main portal with pointed archivolts. The archivolts are the curved mouldings framing the portal; they rest on columns with capitals decorated with foliage.

Two chapels were added in 1769. They are different sizes and are dedicated to the Virgin Mary and Saint Stephen. The building thus reveals both a sequence of periods and a layout made up of different architectural elements: the nave and choir belong to the earlier phases mentioned, while the two chapels are a later addition. The dates given for the centuries and the addition provide a clear timeframe for the church’s history.

The château and the manor house: two distinct architectural histories

The Château de La Chapelle-Chaussée was rebuilt in the last quarter of the 16th century. Its south façade was rebuilt by Louis Richelot in 1834. These dates refer to different building works: the château was rebuilt in the late 16th century, while the south façade was rebuilt in the 19th century. This distinguishes the earlier construction phase from the later alteration to the façade.

Manoir le Champ Mauny was built in the second half of the 16th century. Its residential building is made entirely of rubble and dressed granite and has an L-shaped floor plan. At the rear, an external stair tower without windows stands at the angle of the building. Further details survive on the southern section: a projecting moulded window sill, a carved ogee-shaped hood above the door lintel, iron window grilles and a carved chimney-top. The materials, floor plan and individual architectural features thus offer different points of reference for describing the manor house.

Walking trail and cultural programme

The Circuit du bourg brings together its length, duration and difficulty in practical terms: the loop is 4 kilometres long, is described as easy and family-friendly, and takes about an hour. The walking time is an estimate. Yellow markers indicate the route; they are described as somewhat faded. Check their condition on site before setting out so that you can plan your navigation accordingly.

Médiathèque La Passagère is a distinct cultural highlight. It offers numerous events throughout the year, rotating exhibitions featuring various artists, and regular workshops for children and adults. The programme therefore combines exhibitions with hands-on activities for different age groups. If you are planning around a particular exhibition or workshop, check the specific dates in advance.

When choosing your stay, you can first ask yourself which of these is most important to you: the architecture and its different periods of construction, the walk or a specific event date. The distance and approximate walking time for the Circuit can help you estimate how much time you will need; for a workshop or exhibition, the dates are key. This lets you tailor your plans to the reason for your visit without combining the different themes into a single walk or programme.

Discover more destinations

Monthault, Dompierre-du-Chemin, Cherrueix, Miniac-Morvan, Poligné, Argentré-Du-Plessis, Redon, Plerguer

For the main travel overview: Ille-Et-Vilaine.