Immeubles
MonumentHidden Treasure
Immeubles, located in Rennes (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
- Rennes, Département 35, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.1116, -1.6761
- Mérimée Reference
- PA35000063
In the heart of the old town of Rennes, these 17th-century buildings reveal their hidden treasures: carved timber-framed staircases, painted ceilings and majestic pan-de-bois, witness to the property boom that began with the Parliament of Brittany.
History
Nestling in the historic urban fabric of Rennes, just a stone's throw from the majestic Parlement de Bretagne, these adjoining buildings are one of the most intact examples of Rennes' 17th-century civil architecture. Arranged around two interior courtyards that provide breathing space and views, they form a coherent whole whose sober facade conceals a remarkable wealth of interior features. What makes this group of buildings truly unique is precisely this combination of Breton ashlar and timber-framed structures, two construction techniques that the builders of Rennes in the second half of the 17th century mastered with rare virtuosity. Far from being mere bourgeois dwellings, two of these buildings have preserved interior fittings of exceptional decorative quality: painted ceilings with refined motifs and timber-framed staircases whose joinery testifies to the skills of the craftsmen of the period. To visit these buildings is to plunge into the intimacy of parliamentary Rennes, the city in full expansion, eager for prestige and keen to show off the success of its legal and commercial elites. The inner courtyards, shaded and silent, recreate a period atmosphere that large public monuments cannot offer. Here you can see the daily life of a prosperous Rennes bourgeoisie, attached to propriety but not devoid of taste. The setting is also remarkable for its location in the heart of the historic centre of Rennes, one of the most beautiful in Brittany, where half-timbered buildings, town houses and old squares follow one another to create a highly coherent urban décor. These buildings, which have been listed as Historic Monuments since 2014, play a key role in protecting and promoting this all-too-frequently overlooked civil heritage.
Architecture
The architecture of these buildings is in keeping with Rennes' seventeenth-century building tradition, characterised by a duality of materials: ashlar, used for the plinths, window frames and structural elements, is combined with timber-framed structures that lighten the upper storeys and bear witness to medieval know-how carried on into the classical age. This mixed technique, which is both economical and solid, gives the façades a distinctive visual rhythm, alternating solid stone and timber frames. The overall layout, with two internal courtyards separating the buildings, follows a typological logic well known in French urban architecture of the period: the courtyards provide light and ventilation for the interior rooms, while also acting as transitional spaces between the street and the dwellings. Two buildings stand out for the quality of their interior fittings: their timber-framed staircases, with elegantly carved flights, illustrate the virtuosity of Breton carpenters, while the painted ceilings - decorated with coffering or figurative motifs probably inspired by Parisian models - are a rare and precious example of Rennes civil decoration in the Grand Siècle.
Related Figures
Salomon de Brosse — architecte du Parlement de Bretagne (1618), dont la construction déclenche l'essor immobilier à l'origine de ces immeublesLes magistrats et officiers du Parlement de Bretagne — commanditaires probables de ces logements bourgeois de prestigeLes compagnons charpentiers bretons — artisans anonymes auteurs des remarquables escaliers en charpente conservésLes propriétaires successifs du XVIIe au XXe siècle — garants involontaires de la préservation des décors intérieurs
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Immeubles located?
Immeubles is located in Rennes, Département 35 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Immeubles built?
Immeubles dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Immeubles open to visitors?
Immeubles is currently closed to visitors.