Hôtel
MonumentHidden Treasure
Hôtel, located in Guingamp (Département 22), 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
- Guingamp, Département 22, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.5615, -3.1502
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00089188
In the heart of Guingamp, this 16th-century town house bears the traces of a rich history: presumed ducal monetary workshop, bourgeois residence and prosperous inn on the roads of Brittany.
History
Nestling in the historic fabric of Guingamp, a Breton town steeped in history and once a leading ducal city, this 16th-century town house is one of the most eloquent examples of civil architecture in the region. Known successively as the Hôtel des Monnaies, the Hôtel du Cheval Blanc, the Hôtel de l'Empereur and the Hôtel des Voyageurs, its many identities are like so many strata of intense urban life, reflecting several centuries of commercial and bourgeois Brittany. What makes this building truly singular is the density of its past: behind its sober, elegant stone façade can be seen the ambitions of a rising merchant bourgeoisie, the flow of trade on the Atlantic routes, and perhaps even the distant echo of the monetary workshops of the Dukes of Brittany. This long-underestimated wealth of heritage was officially recognised in 2021 when it was listed as a Historic Monument. A visit to this private mansion is a plunge into a medieval and Renaissance Guingamp that the centuries have preserved with remarkable discretion. The town itself, dominated by the Basilica of Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours, is an ideal setting for anyone seeking to understand the power of ducal Brittany, far from the overcrowded tourist circuits. The building is set in a district that is still marked by its ancient plot structure, with courtyards, gardens and outbuildings reminiscent of the organisation of the great provincial bourgeois residences of the 16th century. For lovers of Breton civil architecture, this is a first-rate place to visit, along with the other private mansions and half-timbered houses still to be found in Guingamp's historic centre.
Architecture
The Guingamp town house is in the tradition of Breton Renaissance civil architecture, characterised by the use of local granite stone, a material that is ubiquitous in the Côtes-d'Armor region, and by a decorative restraint that contrasts with the splendour of the Italian Renaissance. The façade, in keeping with the bourgeois mansions of the 16th century in Armor, probably features mullioned or cross-headed stone windows typical of the period, framed by discreet mouldings testifying to the care taken by the patrons to represent their social status. The composition of the building reflects the evolution of its successive uses: the additions and alterations carried out in 1731 probably modified the interior layout to meet the requirements of hotel operations, with the creation of communal rooms, travellers' bedrooms and perhaps stables or sheds opening onto an inner courtyard. This organisation around a courtyard, typical of large provincial town houses, made it possible to accommodate the carriages and separate the performance areas from the service areas. The ensemble - the main house, courtyards and gardens mentioned in 17th-century notarial deeds - represents a significant landholding, typical of the homes of Breton urban elites in the modern era. The volumes, openings and stone modelling are part of an architectural language that is consistent with that found in other mansions preserved in Guingamp and the towns of inland Brittany.
Related Figures
Gilles Juhel — riche bourgeois commerçant, maire de Guingamp en 1592, acquéreur de biens dans le quartier entre 1587 et 1640Yves de Krémeur — propriétaire du milieu du XVIIe siècle, acquéreur d'un vaste ensemble immobilier entre 1644 et 1649Mathurine Huet — tenancière de l'hôtel du Cheval Blanc en 1731, responsable d'importants travaux d'aménagementGuillaume Delpeuch — acquéreur de l'établissement en 1734Les ducs de Bretagne — dont la présence économique à Guingamp (XIVe-XVe siècle) est à l'origine de la tradition de l'atelier monétaire
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Hôtel located?
Hôtel is located in Guingamp, Département 22 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Hôtel built?
Hôtel dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Hôtel open to visitors?
Hôtel is currently closed to visitors.
