Logis des Courtils-Launay
MonumentHidden Treasure
Logis des Courtils-Launay, located in Saint-Coulomb (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
- Saint-Coulomb, Département 35, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.6744, -1.9358
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00125345
Grande malouinière datée de 1724, les Courtils-Launay conjuguent élégance classique et plan atypique signé d'un corsaire malouin. Son escalier à jour en bois sculpté est un chef-d'œuvre d'ébénisterie bretonne.
History
Nestling in the bocage of Saint-Coulomb, a few leagues from the ramparts of Saint-Malo, the Courtils-Launay malouinière embodies the taste of the privateer nobility of the early 18th century with a rare singularity. Unlike its counterparts built on open plateaux, it cleverly adapts to the sloping terrain, revealing from the outset the inventive character of its patron - a privateer who had clearly brought back fresh ideas from his Atlantic crossings. What immediately sets the Courtils-Launay apart from other Malouinières is the radical nature of its architectural choices. The almost-blind north facade protects the dwelling from the prevailing winds, while the south facade opens generously onto a terraced garden laid out in four main bays. This unique orientation, dictated by the topography, gives the building an almost Mediterranean feel, with each volume interacting with the southern light and the surrounding foliage. Inside, the layout of the rooms comes as a pleasant surprise to the curious visitor. The grand salon occupies the entire western half of the dwelling, vast and luminous, while the eastern half is divided between the monumental staircase and the main hall. This asymmetrical layout breaks with the usual rigour of homes in Saint Malo and reflects a concept of living that is resolutely focused on comfort and social representation. The kitchen, meanwhile, has been relegated to the adjoining former manor house - a discreet acknowledgement that the new residence had absorbed and surpassed an older building. The absolute jewel of the house remains its extraordinarily well-crafted central wooden open staircase. The volutes of the banister, the lightness of the open stairwell, the quality of the wood with the patina of three centuries of use create an almost museum-like tableau. There are few interiors in Saint Malo that have preserved such a state of authenticity. The overall décor, sober and refined in keeping with the aesthetic of the small Malouinières, has only undergone minor alterations, giving it a precious stylistic coherence. The immediate surroundings of the dwelling have also survived the centuries without suffering too much. The park, outbuildings and outbuildings - even if their south-facing facade was rebuilt in the 19th century - form a coherent whole that immerses visitors in the hushed, prosperous atmosphere of Brittany's privateer society at its height. In short, Les Courtils-Launay is one of those places where French history smells of the sea and polished wood.
Architecture
Les Courtils-Launay follows in the tradition of the Malouinières - the country houses built by the privateer and merchant bourgeoisie of Saint-Malo - but differs in a number of distinctive ways. The main dwelling, built of the granite ashlar typical of the region, has a classical composition with a four-bay south façade flanked by two side bays added in the 19th century. The almost-blind north facade is designed to provide protection from the prevailing winds and to compensate for the steepness of the land, which imposes a single orientation where most malouinières have symmetrical main facades. The interior layout is the real architectural originality of the building. Far from the traditional tripartite layout (central vestibule flanked by two symmetrical rooms), the Courtils-Launay features a binary layout: the western half is entirely given over to the large reception room, while the eastern half combines the stairwell and main hall. The former medieval manor house, preserved in the eastern extension of the dwelling, houses the kitchen - linked to the hall by a door in the party wall. This functional layout, which relegates the pantries to outside the new main building, reflects a marked concern for the comfort and dignity of the performance spaces. The most remarkable feature of the interior is undoubtedly the central wooden open staircase. A masterpiece of Breton joinery from the early 18th century, it features a banister with finely turned balusters and an open stairwell that diffuses light into the heart of the house. The overall décor - wood panelling, mouldings, fireplaces - remains faithful to the sober, elegant aesthetic typical of first-generation Malouinières: little ostentation, much quality in the execution of the details.
Related Figures
Launay — corsaire malouin présumé commanditaire et éponyme de la malouinière, vers 1724Les armateurs et corsaires malouins du XVIIIe siècle — contexte social et économique de la constructionRené Duguay-Trouin — figure tutélaire de la course malouine, contemporain de la constructionRobert Surcouf — corsaire malouin emblématique de la génération suivante, reflet du même milieu socialPropriétaires bourgeois du XIXe siècle — commanditaires des reprises et modifications de la façade des communs
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Logis des Courtils-Launay located?
Logis des Courtils-Launay is located in Saint-Coulomb, Département 35 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Logis des Courtils-Launay built?
Logis des Courtils-Launay dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Logis des Courtils-Launay open to visitors?
Logis des Courtils-Launay is currently closed to visitors.
