En un regard
Le château en bref
In the hamlet of La Rivière, in the commune of Ruffiac, in the Malestroit area, the Manoir de Balangeard is a seigneurial residence from the early 17th century that has retained the layout of its original courtyard. It is entered through a gateway framed by two pillars topped with statues, traditionally identified as the lord and lady of the estate; they bear the date 1625 and are attributed to Alain Chesnaye, a lawyer at the Parliament of Brittany, and his wife Françoise Bressel. At the far end of the courtyard, enclosed to the east and west by outbuildings, stands the main house, dated 1634 by the lintel of its door: three levels of two rooms each, served by a projecting stair tower, following a plan common in Breton manors of that period. A lean-to, probably 19th-century, adjoins it to the north-east. The lordship belonged successively to the Agaisse, La Chesnaye and Noblet families. Its façades and roofs have been listed as a historic monument since 1990; it is private property.