Ancien abri du marin, aujourd'hui siège de la revue Le Chasse-Marée
MonumentHidden Treasure
Ancien abri du marin, aujourd'hui siège de la revue Le Chasse-Marée, located in Douarnenez (Département 29), is a modern edifice built in the 19th-20th centuries. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Modern (19th-20th century)
- Location
- Douarnenez, Département 29, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.0970, -4.3250
- Mérimée Reference
- PA29000061
At the headland of Rosmeur, this former sailor's shelter built in 1912 is a Breton neo-Gothic jewel designed by René Darde. Today it houses the legendary magazine Le Chasse-Marée, a living guardian of maritime memory.
History
At the end of the Rosmeur peninsula, facing the spray of the Bay of Douarnenez, stands a singular building that alone embodies the soul of Breton seafarers. Built in 1912 to plans drawn up by architect René Darde, the former sailor's shelter is much more than just a building: it is a stone manifesto testifying to the solidarity shown towards Breton fishermen at the beginning of the 20th century, a time when the sea fed families as much as it bereaved them. What immediately distinguishes this building in the Douarnen landscape is the richness of its neo-Gothic decorative style, borrowed from a sophisticated architectural vocabulary already found in the sailor's shelter at Sainte-Marine. Far from the sober, functional buildings that dotted the ports of Brittany at the time, René Darde designed the most accomplished and ambitious version of these philanthropic shelters, offering sailors a dignified, almost noble place to rest between two tides. Now converted into the headquarters of Le Chasse-Marée magazine - an international benchmark for maritime culture - the building is living an equally committed second life. The magazine, founded in 1981, is perpetuating the spirit of transmission and respect for nautical heritage that inspired its founders. To cross the threshold of this listed building is to enter a space where the history of the men of the sea is woven through the pages and archives. The setting itself contributes to the enchantment. The Pointe de Rosmeur offers a breathtaking view over the bay, one of the most beautiful panoramas in maritime Cornouaille. Photographers, lovers of unusual architecture and enthusiasts of Breton social history and culture will find here a place charged with a rare authenticity, far removed from museographic reconstructions: a living heritage, still inhabited by its own vocation.
Architecture
The Douarnenez sailor's shelter represents the most accomplished expression of a neo-Gothic style applied to social seaside architecture. René Darde used a refined decorative repertoire - pointed arches, elaborate mouldings, meticulous window framing - in stark contrast to the functional simplicity of the shelters built to the standard Guilvinec model. In this way, the building stands out as an architect's work in its own right, and not simply a variation on a standard plan. Situated on the tip of Rosmeur, the building is in dialogue with the surrounding maritime landscape. Its massing, the most generous in the whole series of Breton shelters, gives it a strong presence in the harbour panorama. The materials used, typical of Breton construction in the early twentieth century, combine local ashlar with meticulously crafted masonry elements to ensure its robustness in the face of repeated assaults by sea winds and spray. Although the interior has not retained its original layout - the partitions, furniture and fittings specific to the function of accommodating sailors have disappeared over the decades and successive conversions - the outer shell remains the most eloquent testimony to the architectural ambition of René Darde and the vision of Jacques de Thézac: to make these shelters not just charitable lean-tos, but real places of dignity offered to the men of the sea.
Related Figures
Jacques de Thézac — fondateur de l'Œuvre des Abris du Marin, instigateur de la constructionRené Darde — architecte concepteur de l'édifice, ami de Jacques de ThézacLes marins-pêcheurs sardiniers de Douarnenez — premiers bénéficiaires et habitants symboliques du lieuLes fondateurs de la revue Le Chasse-Marée (1981) — sauveurs et reconvertisseurs du bâtiment
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Ancien abri du marin, aujourd'hui siège de la revue Le Chasse-Marée located?
Ancien abri du marin, aujourd'hui siège de la revue Le Chasse-Marée is located in Douarnenez, Département 29 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Ancien abri du marin, aujourd'hui siège de la revue Le Chasse-Marée built?
Ancien abri du marin, aujourd'hui siège de la revue Le Chasse-Marée dates back to a period built in the modern era (19th-20th century).
Is Ancien abri du marin, aujourd'hui siège de la revue Le Chasse-Marée open to visitors?
Ancien abri du marin, aujourd'hui siège de la revue Le Chasse-Marée is currently closed to visitors.