Maison du 16e siècle
MonumentHidden Treasure
Maison du 16e siècle, located in Guingamp (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
- Guingamp, Département 22, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.5621, -3.1526
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00089182
Au cœur de Guingamp, cette maison du XVIe siècle dévoile l'âme d'une cité bretonne prospère : colombages sculptés, encorbellements audacieux et décors Renaissance font de cette demeure un témoin rare de l'art urbain de la Renaissance bretonne.
History
Nestling in the medieval fabric of Guingamp, a ducal town in the Côtes-d'Armor region, this 16th-century house is one of the most eloquent examples of Breton Renaissance civil architecture. Listed as a Historic Monument since 1923, it belongs to the generation of middle-class residences that flourished in the towns of ducal Brittany in the wake of the union with France, buoyed by prosperous trade and a new taste for humanist décor. What makes this house so special is precisely its exceptional character in an urban landscape that has preserved here and there a few rare remains from the same period. Its facade, punctuated by sculpted half-timbering and characteristic projections, is a powerful illustration of the genius of Breton master carpenters, who were able to combine the robustness of timber structures with the ornamental grace borrowed from Renaissance repertoires. Far from the cold stone of the great fortresses, it embodies the warmth of everyday life and the ambition of the families who made Guingamp rich. A visit to this monument is above all an invitation to slow down and observe. As you look up at its façades, you'll discover a veritable book of stone and wood, where each sculpted motif - interlacing, stylised foliage, figures' faces - tells the story of an era of cultural and artistic renewal. The building is set in a historic city centre that's perfect for strolling around, just a stone's throw from the famous Place du Centre and the Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Basilica. The setting of Guingamp itself is an integral part of the experience: a town on a human scale, with the river Trieux running through it, it retains an authentic character that reinforces the emotion of its heritage. This house is not an isolated monument, but a living fragment of an urban ensemble where the Middle Ages and the Renaissance still interact with elegance.
Architecture
The house is typical of 16th-century Breton civil architecture, combining timber-framed construction with granite masonry. The facade is characterised by its successive corbels - the upper storeys projecting slightly over the street - a method used both to increase living space and to protect passers-by from the elements, while giving the building a lively, picturesque silhouette typical of Breton medieval streets. The woodwork is carved with Renaissance motifs: foliage scrolls, rosettes, grotesque figures and geometric capitals bear witness to the influence of the decorative repertoires that came from Italy via the Loire, adapted with a Breton sense of robustness and relative sobriety. The steeply pitched roof, as required by the Armorican climate, was probably covered with local slate, Brittany's king material. The window openings, with stone or wooden mullions depending on the level, rhythmically organise the facade and reflect a search for balance between decoration and functionality. The ground floor, which was probably once open to wide bays used for commercial purposes, may have been altered over the centuries without affecting the overall structure. Inside, the layout followed the classic plan of middle-class houses of the period: a large common room on the first floor accessible by a spiral staircase, bedrooms set back from the rest of the house and vaulted cellars in the basement for storing food. Although much of the original interior decoration has disappeared, the exposed beams and roof timbers are still precious evidence of the mastery of 16th-century Guingamp craftsmen.
Related Figures
Maîtres charpentiers guingampais du XVIe siècle, bâtisseurs anonymes de la demeureFamilles marchandes de la drap et du lin de Guingamp, commanditaires probablesMarie de Luxembourg, comtesse de Penthièvre, dont la cour contribua au rayonnement de Guingamp au XVe-XVIe siècleJean de Brosse, duc d'Étampes et comte de Penthièvre, figure de la noblesse bretonne liée à GuingampInspecteurs des Monuments Historiques ayant instruit le dossier de classement en 1923
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Maison du 16e siècle located?
Maison du 16e siècle is located in Guingamp, Département 22 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Maison du 16e siècle built?
Maison du 16e siècle dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Maison du 16e siècle open to visitors?
Maison du 16e siècle is currently closed to visitors.
