Maison dite du Gouverneur
MonumentHidden Treasure
Maison dite du Gouverneur, located in Saint-Malo (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-Malo, Département 35, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.6471, -2.0253
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00090835
A remarkable civil vestige of old Saint-Malo, the Maison du Gouverneur (Governor's House) rises up from its granite walls in the inner city. A rare example of Malouin domestic architecture from the Ancien Régime, it embodies the prestige of a corsair town at the height of its power.
History
Tucked away in the maze of cobbled streets within the city walls of Saint-Malo, the Maison du Gouverneur is one of the few authentic civil remains of a city that was largely rebuilt after the devastating bombardments of August 1944. Set in an urban fabric that was largely rebuilt identically by the architect Louis Arretche, this residence lends its immediate surroundings an irreplaceable historical depth, that of a stone that has survived the centuries without losing its soul. Its evocative name refers to the figure of the Royal Governor of Saint-Malo, an officer of the Crown responsible for administering this strategic stronghold. The city of Saint-Malo, whose prosperity was based on maritime trade, racing and cod fishing, owed its governance to men trusted by the King, who lived in mansions befitting their rank. This house, with its meticulous architecture and generous dimensions, bears witness to the social standing of its occupants and the wealth that the sea had deposited on these granite shores. Visiting the house from the street is like coming face to face with Breton stone in all its density: austere, proud facades pierced by openings whose proportions betray a particular attention to layout. The building is in dialogue with the nearby ramparts, a reminder that the merchant town and the fortified town were one and the same. Protection as a Historic Monument, obtained by decree on 14 February 1946, came at a time when Saint-Malo was still lying under its rubble. It was a strong gesture of heritage that meant that, in the reconstruction to come, this house would be spared and would serve as a point of reference, an anchor of memory in the reconstruction of the face of the corsair city. Today, it is one of the key points of interest on any tour of the historic inner city.
Architecture
The Maison du Gouverneur is part of the civil architecture of Saint-Malo in the 16th and 17th centuries, characterised by the extensive use of local granite, a stone extracted from quarries in the Saint-Malo and Île-Grande region. This material, with its typically Breton hardness and austerity, gives the façades a visual density and resistance to sea spray that have enabled the building to stand the test of time. The thick load-bearing walls, the mullioned or transomed windows (depending on the level) and the sculpted stone dormers on the street façade bear witness to architectural care that goes beyond the simple utilitarian dwelling. The composition of the facade follows the canons of the middle-class, official dwelling of northern Brittany: a two- or three-storey main building, with a ground floor for commercial or service use, a first floor reserved for representative functions, and habitable attic space lit by dormer windows. The roof, probably made of Anjou or Pays de Retz slate in the Malouine tradition, has a steep slope adapted to the rainfall of the Channel. Inside, the original layout features a large ceremonial hall facing the street, sculpted granite fireplaces with moulded mantels, and spiral staircases or straight banisters depending on the hierarchy of the rooms. Taken as a whole, the house is an invaluable reminder of the quality of life in Saint-Malo before the massive destruction of 1944, making it much more than a monument: it is a stone document.
Related Figures
Jacques Cartier — explorateur malouin, contemporain de la construction probable de l'édificeVauban — ingénieur militaire ayant reconfiguré les défenses de Saint-Malo à partir de 1689, contexte direct de la vie du gouverneurRené Duguay-Trouin — corsaire malouin (1673-1736), figure emblématique de l'époque où la maison était au cœur de la vie officielleRobert Surcouf — corsaire malouin (1773-1827), héritier de la tradition maritime qui animait la cité du gouverneurFrançois-René de Chateaubriand — natif de Saint-Malo (1768), contemporain des dernières décennies de la gouvernance d'Ancien RégimeLouis Arretche — architecte en chef chargé de la reconstruction de Saint-Malo après 1944, qui intégra la maison dans son plan directeur
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Maison dite du Gouverneur located?
Maison dite du Gouverneur is located in Saint-Malo, Département 35 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Maison dite du Gouverneur built?
Maison dite du Gouverneur dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Maison dite du Gouverneur open to visitors?
Maison dite du Gouverneur is currently closed to visitors.
