Hôtel du 17e siècle
MonumentHidden Treasure
Hôtel du 17e siècle, located in Redon (Département 35), is a Renaissance château built in the 16th century. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Renaissance (16th century)
- Location
- Redon, Département 35, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.6478, -2.0855
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00090668
A discreet Louis XIII jewel nestling in the heart of Redon, this 17th-century mansion reveals the sober elegance of a prosperous Breton bourgeoisie. It has been listed as a Historic Monument since 1930.
History
At the bend in a street in the old town of Redon, a crossroads between Brittany and the Loire region, stands a private mansion that has stood the test of time with aristocratic discretion. Built in the 17th century, this Louis XIII-style building embodies the refined sobriety that the merchant bourgeoisie and families of the robe liked to display in the kingdom's prosperous towns. Far from the pomp and circumstance of Versailles, it speaks an intimate and controlled architectural language that is no less eloquent for all that. What makes this monument unique is precisely its human scale. Described as a "small hotel" in heritage sources, it doesn't seek to impress through excess, but through the accuracy of its proportions and the quality of its layout. In Redon, a town with a long monastic and commercial tradition - the Nantes-Brest canal has run through it since the 19th century - the great local families have always been able to combine economic success with architectural refinement. This hotel is one of the most authentic examples of this. For the curious visitor, strolling past this façade is an invitation to read the social history of provincial France in the Grand Siècle. Every detail - the symmetry of the openings, the meticulous architraves, the horizontal rhythm of the stone - tells the story of a time when the art of building was also an art of looking good, with moderation. Lovers of early civil architecture will find here a precious example, preserved from the excesses of restoration that other monuments have sometimes suffered. Redon itself is well worth a visit: its Saint-Sauveur abbey church, half-timbered houses and old quays form a coherent backdrop into which this private mansion fits naturally. The town, easily accessible by train from Rennes or Nantes, offers a pleasant setting for a half-day of heritage discovery, far from the tourist crowds.
Architecture
The Redon town house belongs to the Louis XIII style, an architectural movement that dominated France in the first half of the 17th century, characterised by a rigorous balance between austerity and elegance. This style, a legacy of the Renaissance tempered by a return to classical rigour, can be recognised by a number of distinctive features: ordered facades with regular bays, windows with small woodwork and stone mullions, steeply pitched roofs pierced by pedimented dormers, and a harmonious alternation of brick and stone in certain regions, although Brittany generally favours local granite or limestone. In the case of this building in Redon, described as a "small hotel" in the official documentation, the composition is probably based around a two- or three-storey main body, with a carefully dressed façade, openings framed by moulded architraves and a steeply pitched roof. The modest scale of the building does not exclude the quality of the workmanship: in the 17th century, even provincial bourgeois commissions called for masons and stonemasons who mastered the formal repertoires of the period. The urban location of the mansion, integrated into the old fabric of Redon, contributes to its character. Like most town houses from this period in provincial towns, it probably has a tight layout adapted to the urban plot, with an elaborate street façade and set-back outbuildings. The ensemble is a coherent and valuable example of Grand Siècle civil architecture in inland Brittany.
Related Figures
Louis XIII — roi de France sous le règne duquel le style architectural éponyme se développa et se diffusa dans toute la provinceCardinal de Richelieu — principal ministre de Louis XIII, dont la politique centraliste favorisa l'émergence d'une bourgeoisie administrative et marchande, principale commanditaire de tels hôtelsLes familles de négociants redonnais — commanditaires probables de l'édifice, enrichis par le commerce fluvial sur la Vilaine et l'OustInspecteurs des Monuments Historiques (1930) — fonctionnaires du patrimoine qui reconnurent la valeur architecturale de l'hôtel et obtinrent sa protection officielle
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Hôtel du 17e siècle located?
Hôtel du 17e siècle is located in Redon, Département 35 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Hôtel du 17e siècle built?
Hôtel du 17e siècle dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Hôtel du 17e siècle open to visitors?
Hôtel du 17e siècle is currently closed to visitors.
