History

In 1427, Jehan du Val owns Le Val. Yet, alliances with Houses in Low Brittany draw the Lords of Le Val to emigrate in the 16th century to the Pays de Morlaix. From this moment, Le Val Guildo belongs to Amaury Gouyon, Baron de la Moussaye, who builds up Le Val again in 1571 for his son, Charles.

Influenced by his wife, Claude du Chastel, Charles Gouyon converts to Protestantism. He hides in Le Val after St Bartholomew's massacre (1572) and there he makes easier the flee of several of his fellow-believers. In 1585, an edict by King Henry III prohibits the Reformed Worship.

After his defeat in Angers, Prince Henry de Condé, chief of the Huguenot party, is looking for a shelter in Brittany. He embarks in St Cast with a few compagnons and a headwind forces them to stop in Le Val where they are welcomed by Mrs Gouyon. The day after, they set out for Jersey. In the meantime, Charles de Gouyon, who has come back to the Catholic faith, is in Paris, serving the King. His wife passes away in 1587, aged only 34. He dies in 1593.

Henry Gouyon, marquis de La Moussaye

In 1680, le Val has passed to Henry Gouyon, Marquis de la Moussaye, great grandson of Charles Gouyon. Later, in 1758, the English drawing back on St Cast set fire to the castle. The large main building and the two turrets are destroyed. From the 1571 castle, only the lateral west wing remains with the chapel at its end. This is the wing where Mrs de gouyon accomodated the Prince de Condé in 1585.

Until 1777, le Val belongs to the Boisgelin family, who then sells the castle to Pierre-Anne Marie de Chateaubriand, uncle of the writer. He rebuilds most of the catle around 1780 and spends the summer months there with his wife and 6 children. His nephew François-René visits them very often.

1791: The Revolution

In 1791, Pierre is informed of the arrival to Jersey of his son, Armand, courrier of the Princes. It's the revolutionary period. After the death of their parents, only two girls are able to buy what they can of what was confiscated to their brothers and sisters. In June 4th 1801, they have no choice but to sell le Val and its outbuildings to François-Michel de la Morvonnais.

During the Revolution, the Château du Val was ransacked by the soldiers and the damages amounted to 9615 livres. The new owner of le Val is a lawyer in St-Malo. François has a son, Hippolyte, born in 1802, who inherits le Val. It is in the Château du Val that the man of letters writes his « Thébaide ».

There he writes his books and hosts his friends, among whom Félicité de Lamennais, Maurice de Guérin and François du Breil, ancestor of the present Mme Olivier de La Blanchardière. In November 28th 1826, he marries his cousin Marie de la Villéon. Hippolyte de la Morvonnais founds the parish of N.D du guildo, which explains why he was buried on the Church square.

In November 22nd 1832 was born Mary who, in 1856, maries Ambroise de la Blanchardière. Their son, Hippolyte Poinçon de la Blanchardière, born in St Malo in 1858, becomes mayor of N.D du Guildo. One of the grand children of the latest, Georges, born in 1928, accidentally dies in the park of the castle in 1987, leaving his wife, Eliane Hay de Slade, alone to face the heavy charge of maintaining a castle nowadays.

Today

His son, Olivier, gives up his cabinetmaker training to help her. In April 20th1991, he marries Armelle Parenteau-Denoël, with whom he managed a tourism activity which allows them to keep le Val in the family. They hope to be able to pass it on to one of their 7 children...

Historical event in July 2012

We feel honoured when Prince Albert de Monaco, come in the footsteps of his ancestors Gouyon Matignon, choses the Château du Val to spend the night.