Maison de bois
MonumentHidden Treasure
Maison de bois, located in Landerneau (Département 29), 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
- Landerneau, Département 29, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00090033
A jewel of 16th-century Landerneau, this half-timbered house retains its slate timber-framed facade with successive corbels - a rare example of Breton Renaissance urban architecture.
History
In the heart of Landerneau, a port town in Finistère whose narrow streets are home to an exceptional civil heritage, the Maison de Bois stands like a miraculously preserved fragment of the 16th century. Its slate-covered timber-framed facade forms a slender silhouette typical of the gabled houses that once punctuated the commercial towns of Brittany. Each storey is progressively corbelled to project the upper levels above the street, creating the gently sloping upward movement so typical of late medieval and Renaissance vernacular architecture. What makes this building truly exceptional is its integrity. Where most of its counterparts have been disfigured by successive facelifts, substitutions of materials or interior rearrangements, the Maison de Bois de Landerneau has survived five centuries without losing most of its original substance. The windows on the first floor still have their interior shutters with vertical slides - a period joinery device that has become extremely rare in France - offering lovers of the history of the decorative arts an almost tactile contact with the daily life of Breton merchants and craftsmen during the Renaissance. The rear façade, also built of timber-framed walls, confirms that the building was conceived from the outset as a construction that took care of all its sides, and not simply as a street front masking an ordinary building. This attention to detail throughout the building testifies to a technical mastery and architectural ambition that went beyond mere functional necessity. To visit the Maison de Bois is to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of a prosperous Landerneau, an active trading and commercial centre thanks to its inhabited bridge and port on the Elorn. The half-timbering, dark slate and successive corbels make up a facade that interacts naturally with the town's other historic residences, inviting visitors to compare Breton civil architecture over the centuries.
Architecture
The Maison de Bois in Landerneau is a shining example of the timber-frame construction technique that was dominant in 16th-century Breton urban housing. Its main façade features a timber frame with slate infill, a material that is abundant in Brittany and particularly effective against the frequent rainfall in Finistère. This slate cladding, laid in overlapping layers on the timber sections, provides remarkable protection from the weather while giving the façade its characteristic grey-blue hue and finely grooved texture. The vertical organisation of the façade follows the logic of progressive corbelling: each storey overhangs slightly onto the one below, enlarging the living space on the upper levels and creating the slightly overhanging profile so recognisable of these houses. This technique, both structural and pragmatic, made it possible to increase the usable floor area without encroaching further onto the street at ground level. The gable on the street accentuates the verticality of the whole, signing the urban silhouette with a formal energy typical of the French provincial Renaissance. The interior joinery shows particular care: the vertical sliding shutters on the first floor are a rare example of a period closure that has been preserved in situ. The rear facade, also of timber-framed construction, confirms the constructive coherence of the whole and the absence of a brutal hierarchy between the representative facade and the secondary elevations, a sign of an architecture that is long-lasting rather than ostentatious.
Related Figures
Artisans charpentiers bretons du XVIe siècle (bâtisseurs anonymes de la maison)Marchands et négociants landernéens de la Renaissance (premiers occupants probables)Inventeurs du patrimoine civil breton — érudits et architectes des Monuments Historiques du XXe siècle ayant documenté l'édifice
Map
Coordinates not available for this monument.
Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Maison de bois located?
Maison de bois is located in Landerneau, Département 29 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Maison de bois built?
Maison de bois dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Maison de bois open to visitors?
Maison de bois is currently closed to visitors.