Maison dite du Pélican
MonumentHidden Treasure
Maison dite du Pélican, 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
- 47.8096, -2.3827
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00091422
Au cœur médiéval de Malestroit, la Maison du Pélican séduit par son poteau cornier sculpté d'un oiseau mythique — joyau d'architecture à pans de bois du Morbihan, inscrit aux Monuments Historiques.
History
Tucked away in the cobbled streets of Malestroit, one of the most beautiful medieval towns in Morbihan, the Maison du Pélican is one of those bourgeois residences that in itself sums up several centuries of urban history. Modest in appearance, it conceals an architectural treasure that the discerning eye immediately grasps: a corner post carved with a wooden pelican, a heraldic and religious figure of rare symbolic power, which has given its name to the house for all eternity. What makes the Maison du Pélican truly unique is this sculpture, which defies the centuries from the first floor. The pelican, a Christ-like symbol of sacrifice and charity - according to medieval legend, it wounds its flank to feed its young with its own blood - was a figure prized by religious brotherhoods and pious middle-class families. Its presence here testifies to the deep attachment of the old inhabitants to a Christian symbolism inscribed even in the stone and wood of their homes. Visiting the house is like immersing yourself in late medieval Malestroit. The house is part of an exceptional urban ensemble, alongside other half-timbered facades and private mansions that form one of the best-preserved heritage ensembles in inland Brittany. Observe the pelican sculpture from the street, look for the details of the exposed roof timbers, imagine the life that animated these walls - it's a visit that's both short and intense. Malestroit's setting further enhances the charm of the place. Bordered by the Nantes-Brest canal and the River Oust, the town offers visitors an unrivalled natural and historical setting. The Maison du Pélican, visible from the central square, is a must-see on any heritage tour of this part of Morbihan, ideally combined with a visit to the church of Saint-Gilles and the other medieval houses in the surrounding area.
Architecture
The Maison du Pélican belongs to the large family of timber-framed houses characteristic of medieval Breton and Norman civil architecture. The building has at least two storeys, with the first floor probably slightly corbelled onto the street, in the typical layout of 15th-16th century urban bourgeois houses. Some of the facades are now plastered over, concealing the interior framework, but the corner post on the first floor is still visible and forms the centrepiece of the decorative ensemble. This carved wooden corner post depicting a pelican - probably a pelican in piety, its wings spread and its beak tilted towards its chest according to traditional medieval iconography - is a work of remarkable craftsmanship. Carved from hardwood to withstand the centuries, it bears witness to the skills of Breton woodcarvers of the late Middle Ages, whose art often equalled that of master painters working in stone. The roof, with its steep slope in accordance with regional custom to evacuate the heavy rainfall of the Morbihan region, must have been covered in slate, a favourite material in Brittany since the Middle Ages. The fact that the house is located in the old centre of Malestroit, close to the other timber-framed houses in the town, gives it an essential urban dimension: it forms part of a coherent whole that makes Malestroit one of the best-preserved medieval towns in inland Brittany, comparable to Rochefort-en-Terre or Josselin for the quality of its historic fabric.
Related Figures
Artisan charpentier-sculpteur anonyme du XVe-XVIe siècle, auteur de la sculpture du pélicanPropriétaire bourgeois anonyme commanditaire de la maison, probablement membre d'une confrérie religieuse ou d'une famille marchande pieuseDucs de Bretagne, dont la suzeraineté sur Malestroit encadrait la vie économique et juridique de la citéJean de Montfort et Charles de Blois, protagonistes de la guerre de Succession de Bretagne ayant conduit à la Trêve de Malestroit (1343)Inspecteurs des Monuments Historiques de 1931, ayant prononcé l'inscription protectrice de la maison
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Maison dite du Pélican located?
Maison dite du Pélican is located in Malestroit, Département 56 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Maison dite du Pélican built?
Maison dite du Pélican dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Maison dite du Pélican open to visitors?
Maison dite du Pélican is currently closed to visitors.
