Centre de l'Imaginaire Arthurien
A French cultural centre devoted to Arthurian legend, Brocéliande, Celtic heritage and related literature, art and performance.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
The Centre de l'Imaginaire Arthurien is a French cultural organisation dedicated to the Matter of Britain, the Arthurian legends and the cultural landscape traditionally associated with Brocéliande. Established in Rennes in 1988 by a group that brought together scholars, writers, artists and regional public figures, it was created to make Arthurian history, literature and imagination accessible to the general public while supporting new artistic interpretations of the subject. Since 1990, its principal base has been the Château de Comper in the Paimpont Forest, commonly identified in popular culture with the legendary forest of Brocéliande. The château functions as an exhibition venue, visitor centre, bookshop, screening space and departure point for guided walks and interpretive activities. The organisation operates at the intersection of cultural tourism, education, heritage interpretation and the arts. Its programme has included annual exhibitions, lectures, storytelling, concerts, theatre, conferences, school visits, guided forest tours, book signings, heritage activities and demonstrations connected with medieval and Celtic traditions. Exhibitions have covered subjects ranging from King Arthur, Merlin and the Knights of the Round Table to fairies, Morgana, Melusine, Celtic mythology, graphic novels, cinema and contemporary fantasy. Rather than presenting Arthurian material solely as medieval history, the centre treats it as a living cultural tradition that continues to inspire writers, illustrators, musicians, filmmakers and performers. Recurring events have included the Pentecôte du Roi Arthur, the Rencontres de l'Imaginaire de Brocéliande and the Semaine du Dragon. The centre has also participated in cultural events outside Brittany, including the Médiévales de Provins and the Printemps des Légendes in the Ardennes. Its public-facing work is supported by research, bibliographic and iconographic resources, educational projects, documentary assistance and collaborations with universities, museums, artists and heritage organisations. The centre has received recognition for widening access to Arthurian culture and for connecting scholarship with tourism and creative practice. The organisation is closely associated with Claudine Glot, who has served as president since its foundation, and with Nicolas Mezzalira, who became director in 2008. Its wider circle has included the scholar Gilbert Durand, writer Michel Le Bris, folklorist and author Pierre Dubois, artists Séverine Pineaux, Bruno Brucéro and Didier Graffet, and academics such as Philippe Walter and Bernard Sergent. The centre's members also established the Artus publishing house, which has issued books on Brocéliande, Brittany, Celtic traditions, Ireland, Scotland, Arthurian literature and related fantasy themes. In addition to Château de Comper, the centre has operated the Petite Maison des Légendes in nearby Concoret since its restoration and opening at the end of 2012. Together, these sites extend the visitor season and provide spaces for exhibitions, storytelling, workshops and literary events. The organisation has reported approximately 30,000 visitors annually, with a significant proportion consisting of students, researchers and other visitors interested in the historical and literary dimensions of the Arthurian tradition.
History
The Centre de l'Imaginaire Arthurien was founded in Rennes in 1988 in response to public interest in the Arthurian legends, the forest of Brocéliande and the wider Celtic and medieval traditions associated with Brittany. Its creation drew on the work of specialists connected with the journal Artus and received support from figures including the scholar Gilbert Durand and the International Arthurian Society. The founding group combined academic research with regional cultural development, seeking to create an organisation that could serve visitors, schools, artists and researchers rather than a narrowly specialist audience. The centre's first exhibitions addressed King Arthur, Brocéliande and megalithic sites. In 1990, it moved its main activities to Château de Comper, a historic site in Concoret situated in the Paimpont Forest. The location became central to the organisation's identity because it links the historical landscape with the literary and folkloric image of Brocéliande. A major forest fire in September 1990 affected the surrounding area, after which the centre contributed to the renewal of local interpretation and cultural activity. Guided walks and public programmes developed alongside the exhibitions. During the 1990s, the centre expanded its themes and methods. Exhibitions examined the film Excalibur, graphic novels, Merlin, monarchs, magicians and the Knights of the Round Table. It organised performances, storytelling, music and conferences, welcomed school groups and participated in events beyond its permanent base. Members contributed to research and publications, including the book Hauts-lieux de Brocéliande, published in 1996. The organisation's approach consistently combined medieval sources with modern artistic production, allowing painting, illustration, photography, cinema and fantasy literature to appear alongside historical and literary interpretation. The centre continued this programme in the 2000s with exhibitions on Celtic traditions, Breton enchantments, fairies and knights, and the Arthurian world in contemporary culture. It introduced participatory activities such as live-action role-playing and treasure hunts in 2005. Later exhibitions focused on the Knights of the Round Table, Celtic antecedents to Arthurian romance, Merlin's forest and the relationship between Arthurian legend and magic. The centre also developed partnerships with artists and cultural organisations in England, including a project around the Lai of Lanval and the film Sir Lanval, produced with the Chagford Filmmaking Group in Devon. From 2009 onward, the organisation increasingly appeared at cultural events outside Brittany, including the Médiévales de Provins and the Printemps des Légendes. In 2011, it supported a documentary project about Arthurian legend and Brocéliande involving the singer Nolwenn Leroy and France 2. Around the same period, it began work on restoring the Petite Maison des Légendes in Concoret. The venue opened in late 2012 with assistance from the Fondation du Patrimoine in Brittany, private donors and local and regional public authorities. The centre's organisational model remains based on association membership, cultural programming, visitor revenue, publishing and public or philanthropic support rather than conventional commercial brand expansion. Its core mission is to keep Arthurian mythology in dialogue with scholarship, local heritage and contemporary creativity. Château de Comper remains the principal seasonal site, while the Petite Maison des Légendes extends activities during the château's off-season. The centre is known for maintaining a large network of writers, artists, folklorists and academics and for presenting the Arthurian tradition as both a historical subject and a continuing imaginative culture.
- 2012
Petite Maison des Légendes opened
[1]A second venue opened in Concoret after a community-supported restoration project.
- 2010
Lanval collaboration developed
[1]The centre developed an exhibition, publication and film partnership around the Arthurian lai of Lanval with artists and collaborators from Devon.
- 2008
Nicolas Mezzalira became director
[1]Nicolas Mezzalira assumed the directorship of the centre.
- 2005
Participatory fantasy activities introduced
[1]The programme expanded to include live-action role-playing and a treasure hunt alongside exhibitions and performances.
- 1990
Permanent base established at Château de Comper
[1]The centre moved its principal exhibitions and visitor activities to Château de Comper in the Paimpont Forest.
- 1988
Centre founded in Rennes
[1]The organisation was established by academics, writers, artists and regional cultural supporters to interpret Arthurian legend and Brocéliande for a broad public.
Products and positioning
A specialist cultural and heritage organisation that combines Arthurian scholarship, public education, creative arts, literary publishing and tourism around the symbolic landscape of Brocéliande.
Cultural exhibition · 1988
Annual Arthurian exhibitions
Seasonal exhibitions present a changing subject from Arthurian, Celtic, medieval or Brocéliande-related culture. Themes have included Arthur, Merlin, Excalibur, the Knights of the Round Table, fairies, Morgana, Melusine, Celtic heritage, graphic novels and contemporary fantasy. The displays combine historical interpretation with paintings, photography, costumes, sculpture, illustration, film and other creative works.
Heritage interpretation · 1990
Guided Brocéliande tours
Guided walks connect the literary and folkloric traditions of Brocéliande with the landscape of Paimpont Forest. Tours interpret sites associated with figures such as Merlin, Viviane and the Knights of the Round Table while distinguishing, where appropriate, between historical evidence, medieval literature and later local tradition.
Publishing
Artus publications
Members of the centre established the Artus publishing house, which has issued illustrated books, essays, theatrical works and other publications concerning Brocéliande, Brittany, Celtic countries, Arthurian literature and related fantasy traditions.
Cultural venue · 2012
Petite Maison des Légendes
The Petite Maison des Légendes is a complementary venue in Concoret used for winter-season cultural programming, storytelling, exhibitions, workshops and literary events when the Château de Comper has limited seasonal access.
Marketing campaigns
- 2011Petite Maison des Légendes restoration
Brittany · France
The centre launched work to restore and reopen the Petite Maison des Légendes in Concoret as a second public venue.
Outcome. The venue opened in late 2012 with support from heritage philanthropy, private donors and public authorities.
- 2010Lai of Lanval project
France · United Kingdom
The centre collaborated with Breton and English artists on an exhibition and book about the Lai of Lanval and worked with the Chagford Filmmaking Group in Exeter on the film Sir Lanval.
Outcome. The project extended the centre's cultural partnerships beyond France and connected medieval literature with contemporary visual and screen arts.
- 1991L'Arbre d'Or
Brittany · France
The centre participated in establishing the Golden Tree at the entrance to the Val sans Retour, linking artistic symbolism, local landscape and the public interpretation of Brocéliande.
Outcome. The installation became part of the area's cultural and visitor landscape.
Brand decisions
2012
Expansion to a second cultural venueStrategyBackground
The seasonal operation of Château de Comper created a need for a complementary venue and longer annual programming.
Action taken
The centre helped restore and open the Petite Maison des Légendes in nearby Concoret.
Aftermath
The new venue provided winter activities and broadened the organisation's local cultural presence.
1990
Consolidation at Château de ComperStrategyBackground
The organisation needed a stable public base capable of housing exhibitions and supporting interpretation of the Brocéliande landscape.
Action taken
It established its principal headquarters and visitor programme at Château de Comper.
Aftermath
The château became the defining site of the centre and the starting point for exhibitions, events and guided forest visits.
Recent events
- 2012
Petite Maison des Légendes opened in Concoret[1]
Other
After restoration supported by heritage funding, donations and public subsidies, the Petite Maison des Légendes opened as a complementary cultural venue.
- 1990
Headquarters moved to Château de Comper[1]
Other
The centre established its principal visitor and exhibition base at Château de Comper in the Paimpont Forest.
- 1988
Centre established in Rennes[1]
Other
The Centre de l'Imaginaire Arthurien was formally established with support from scholars, writers, artists and regional political figures.
Sources2 sources
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