Maison dite de la Chouette
MonumentHidden Treasure
Maison dite de la Chouette, 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
- 48.1111, -1.6840
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00090736
In the heart of the old town of Rennes, the Maison de la Chouette (Owl House) stands with its Gothic timber-framed facades facing the cathedral, a rare and striking example of 15th-century Breton medieval architecture.
History
Nestling in the labyrinth of cobbled streets surrounding Rennes' Saint-Pierre cathedral, the Maison dite de la Chouette is one of the most evocative silhouettes of the Breton capital's old historic centre. Its half-timbered façade, set against a base of grey stone, seems frozen in the amber of a Middle Ages that Rennes' heyday has never completely erased. What sets this building apart from its neighbours is the exceptional quality of its exposed framework and the wide moulded corbels that punctuate the upper storey with a sober elegance characteristic of late Breton Gothic. These sculpted elements, both functional and ornamental, reveal the hand of craftsmen keen to combine solidity and refinement, at a time when Rennes was asserting its role as capital of the Duchy of Brittany. To visit the Maison de la Chouette is to immerse yourself in a remarkably coherent medieval urban environment. The building is part of a heterogeneous but harmonious architectural ensemble, combining timber-framed houses and Renaissance mansions, which surrounds the cathedral like a guard of honour made of stone and oak. A stroll around this protected perimeter offers a succession of unexpected perspectives, where each corner reveals a sculpted detail or an ornate projection. The immediate setting is that of a Rennes that is still very much medieval in its fabric, despite the reconstructions imposed by the great fire of 1720. The cathedral quarter was in fact partly spared by the flames, which explains the survival of these timber-framed houses, now listed or registered for their irreplaceable testimony. Photographers and lovers of Gothic civil architecture will find this an inexhaustible field of exploration.
Architecture
The Maison de la Chouette is based on a construction principle typical of late medieval Breton towns: a ground floor of robust, waterproof local granite masonry supports a timber-framed elevation, with squared oak beams forming the supporting framework. This mixed system, which was both economical and efficient, was typical of the vast majority of middle-class houses in Rennes before the fire of 1720. The building's most remarkable architectural feature is its wide, moulded corbels, which support the upper storey runners - the horizontal key pieces on which the upper framework rests. These corbels have a groove-and-cavet profile, characteristic of the last decades of the Gothic period, which means that they were probably made between 1460 and 1510. Their scale and quality of execution bear witness to a patron who was keen to show off his prosperity through the quality of the architectural decoration, even in the structural details. The façade, facing the street, features the vertical rhythm of wooden posts interspersed with hoarding and infill, in the tradition of half-timbered houses in western France. The discreet corbelling of the upper storey over the ground floor, a common method of gaining height for living space without encroaching on the public thoroughfare, accentuates the picturesque silhouette of the house and contributes to the overall effect of the surrounding medieval urban fabric.
Related Figures
Artisans charpentiers rennais anonymes du XVe siècle, bâtisseurs de la maisonÉvêques de Rennes, commanditaires et animateurs du quartier cathédral au Moyen ÂgeJacques Gabriel (1667-1742), architecte du roi ayant restructuré Rennes après l'incendie de 1720, dont les travaux ont paradoxalement protégé ce secteurProsper Mérimée (1803-1870), inspecteur général des Monuments historiques, pionnier du recensement du patrimoine civil médiéval en France
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Maison dite de la Chouette located?
Maison dite de la Chouette is located in Rennes, Département 35 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Maison dite de la Chouette built?
Maison dite de la Chouette dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Maison dite de la Chouette open to visitors?
Maison dite de la Chouette is currently closed to visitors.
