Maison datée de 1640
MonumentHidden Treasure
Maison datée de 1640, located in Malestroit (Département 56), 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
- Malestroit, Département 56, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.8098, -2.3831
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00091424
Au cœur de Malestroit, cette maison à pans de bois datée de 1640 incarne l'élégance discrète de l'architecture civile bretonne du Grand Siècle, avec ses encorbellements sculptés et ses décors en pierre de taille.
History
Nestling in the medieval streets of Malestroit, one of the most beautiful towns in Morbihan, this house, dated 1640, is a remarkable example of Breton civil architecture at the crossroads between the end of the Renaissance and the dawn of French Classicism. While the town is famous for its half-timbered houses decorated with grotesque figures and popular scenes, this one stands out for the refined sobriety of its composition, typical of the second quarter of the 17th century, a time when the taste for exuberant ornamentation was gradually giving way to a more assertive formal discipline. The house is a fine example of the provincial art of building: the timber-framed structure rests on a flashing of Breton granite, a material that is omnipresent in buildings in the Morbihan region, while the façades reveal, to those who can read them, the prosperity of an owner from the merchant bourgeoisie or the liberal professions that enlivened the market town of Malestroit at the time. The date inscribed on the façade - 1640 - was common practice in Brittany at the time, a sign of quiet pride and a desire to anchor the family in stone. The heritage interest of this building goes beyond the merely anecdotal: it is part of an exceptional urban ensemble that makes Malestroit one of the best preserved medieval and Ancien Régime ensembles in Brittany. Flanked by its neighbours with 15th and 16th century sculpted decorations, the 1640 house illustrates the living continuity of a building culture that has survived the centuries without a sudden break. Discovering this house is an ideal part of a walk through the historic centre of Malestroit, whose cobbled streets run alongside the Nantes-Brest canal and the course of the River Oust. The atmosphere here is that of a town that has managed to preserve its identity while remaining lively and inhabited, far removed from the frozen folklore of some tourist sites. Photographers and architecture enthusiasts will find the changing Breton light here, particularly beautiful at the end of the day, sublimates the textures of the wood and stone.
Architecture
Dating from 1640, this house is a typical example of a timber-framed urban dwelling on a granite flashing, typical of Breton civil architecture in the 16th and 17th centuries. The load-bearing oak frame is reinforced by bracing elements - braces and reliefs - the assembly of which testifies to the mastery of carpentry skills. The infill between the posts is made of cob or light masonry, protected on the facade by a traditional lime rendering. The facade facing the street is slightly corbelled on the upper levels, a technical device used to gain living space while creating a plastic effect of gradual overhang, characteristic of urban buildings of the period. The runners - horizontal pieces of wood crowning each level - can be decorated with simple mouldings or sober geometric designs, reflecting the classicist taste that swept the province at the time of Richelieu. The windows, with stone mullions or small wooden bars, punctuate the composition with a regularity still imbued with the Renaissance tradition. The roof, probably covered in natural slate quarried in Anjou or Morbihan - the preferred material in inland Brittany - has a steep slope suited to the local rainfall. The compact, well-proportioned structure is a perfect illustration of the transition between the late Gothic ornamentation of the neighbouring medieval houses and the sobriety of the classical provincial architecture of the Grand Siècle.
Related Figures
Commanditaire anonyme de 1640, bourgeois ou officier de justice de MalestroitSeigneurs de Malestroit, fondateurs de la cité médiévale (XIIe siècle)Inspecteurs des Monuments Historiques ayant instruit l'inscription de 1931Charpentiers et maçons locaux du second quart du XVIIe siècleHenri de Rohan, gouverneur de Bretagne, dont l'action politique favorisa la reconstruction des cités bretonnes après les guerres de la Ligue
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Maison datée de 1640 located?
Maison datée de 1640 is located in Malestroit, Département 56 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Maison datée de 1640 built?
Maison datée de 1640 dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Maison datée de 1640 open to visitors?
Maison datée de 1640 is currently closed to visitors.
