Maison dite de la Mère Pourcel
MonumentHidden Treasure
Maison dite de la Mère Pourcel, located in Dinan (Département 22), 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
- Dinan, Département 22, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.4536, -2.0444
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00089080
In the heart of medieval Dinan, the sculpted corbels of the Maison de la Mère Pourcel date back to the 15th century and are an exceptional vestige of Breton timber-framed civil architecture.
History
Nestling in the Place des Merciers, one of Brittany's most beautiful medieval squares, the house known as the Maison de la Mère Pourcel is one of Dinan's architectural gems. With its arcaded galleries on the ground floor, its corbelled upper storeys and its remarkably fine sculpted decoration, it embodies better than any other civil building the prosperous merchant spirit of the town at the end of the Middle Ages. Its popular name, the legacy of a landlady whose memory lives on in local memory, gives it a human dimension that is rare for a building of this age. What makes the Maison de la Mère Pourcel truly unique is the legible superimposition of several construction campaigns spanning nearly six centuries: from the medieval foundations in the 13th century to the discreet alterations in the 18th century, not forgetting the remarkable half-timbered façade from the 15th century, each layer tells a page in Dinan's urban history. The eaves and uprights are adorned with plant motifs, grimacing figures and geometric friezes characteristic of the Breton flamboyant Gothic style. A visit to the Place des Merciers, which the house proudly overlooks, is in itself a timeless experience. The alignment of houses with low galleries, once occupied by merchants' stalls, creates an almost intact medieval perspective. Mother Pourcel's house, with its imposing size and wealth of sculptures, sits naturally at the heart of this ensemble. Dinan's setting adds even more excitement: perched on a promontory overlooking the River Rance, the town has preserved its medieval urban fabric like no other. Ramparts, towers, cobbled streets and half-timbered houses form a setting in which the house of Mère Pourcel stands out with striking clarity. Photographers and history buffs will find plenty to marvel at every hour of the day.
Architecture
The Mère Pourcel house is an accomplished example of the timber-framed civil architecture practised in Brittany in the late Middle Ages. The main facade, punctuated by successive bays of corbelled half-timbering, creates this characteristic silhouette where each storey slightly overhangs the previous one, maximising living space while creating a lively interplay of light and shadow. The ground floor opens onto a stone arcaded gallery, a typical feature of medieval trading houses, which enabled merchants to display their wares sheltered from the elements. The oak framework, the main frame of the building, is remarkably well crafted. The horizontal runners and oblique girts supporting the corbels are carved with stylised plant motifs, acanthus leaves, foliage and small expressive figures from the decorative repertoire of the Breton flamboyant Gothic style. These sculpted elements, now partially protected by old plasterwork, reveal the quality of the work of the 15th-century carpenters in the low light. The stone mullioned windows, set into the half-timbered bays, add a note of Gothic verticality to the overall composition. Eighteenth-century alterations introduced a number of changes to the interior layout and some of the openings, without altering the coherence of the medieval architecture. The shale and granite masonry walls, the preferred materials in Côtes-d'Armor, are the oldest parts of the building, ensuring its structural stability since the 13th century. The steeply pitched roof, covered in Breton slate, harmoniously completes the silhouette, making the Maison de la Mère Pourcel one of the most powerful visual landmarks in the Place des Merciers.
Related Figures
La Mère Pourcel — tenancière légendaire, probablement aubergiste ou cabaretière des XVIIe-XVIIIe siècles, dont la personnalité marquante a donné son nom populaire à l'édificeBertrand Du Guesclin — connétable de France né à Dinan, figure tutélaire de la ville médiévale dont la prospérité se reflète dans les demeures de la place des MerciersLes ducs de Bretagne (XIIIe-XVe siècle) — sous leur autorité, Dinan connaît l'essor urbain qui voit naître et prospérer les maisons à galeries de la place des MerciersAnne de Bretagne — duchesse dont le règne (fin XVe-début XVIe siècle) coïncide avec la pleine maturité architecturale des demeures de la vieille ville de DinanLes maîtres charpentiers-sculpteurs du XVe siècle — artisans anonymes auteurs des décors sculptés en chêne, témoins de l'excellence des ateliers bretons de l'époque
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Maison dite de la Mère Pourcel located?
Maison dite de la Mère Pourcel is located in Dinan, Département 22 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Maison dite de la Mère Pourcel built?
Maison dite de la Mère Pourcel dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Maison dite de la Mère Pourcel open to visitors?
Maison dite de la Mère Pourcel is currently closed to visitors.