Maison du 16e siècle
MonumentHidden Treasure
Maison du 16e siècle, located in Lannion (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
- Lannion, Département 22, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.7322, -3.4580
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00089269
A jewel of the Breton Renaissance in Lannion, this 16th-century half-timbered house captivates visitors with its carved corbelling and finely crafted timberwork, which bear witness to exceptional local craftsmanship.
History
In the heart of the old town of Lannion, in the Côtes-d'Armor region, stands a house that epitomises the architectural soul of Renaissance Brittany. Built in the 16th century, this half-timbered house belongs to the generation of civil buildings that shaped the cobbled streets of the city of Tregor, which are still among the best preserved in the department. Protected as a Historic Monument since 1926, it is one of the key landmarks of the Bas-Breton urban heritage. What really sets this residence apart from the medieval and Renaissance buildings of Lannion is the quality of its sculpted decoration. The runners, corner posts and uprights bear motifs that are typical of the Breton Renaissance: interlacing, grotesque heads, stylised foliage and anthropomorphic figures that bear witness to the exceptional skills of the carpenters and sculptors of Trégor. This ornamental vocabulary blends the flamboyant Gothic heritage with the Italianate influence that was spreading from the great royal projects of the time. A visit to this house is a natural part of a walking tour of old Lannion, where the Place du Centre and Rue des Chapeliers are home to a remarkable collection of 15th and 16th century half-timbered houses. To look at the façade of this house is to get a glimpse into the life of a well-to-do merchant or notable person in the town during the Renaissance: the corbelled floors that gradually extend out onto the street, the richness of the sculptures that display social status, the layout of the openings that let in light while preserving privacy. The setting that surrounds the house adds to its charm. Lannion, a town perched on the heights of the Léguer, offers a coherent urban ensemble where the sloping streets, stone staircases and half-timbered facades create an atmosphere of rare authenticity. The soft light of the Trégor region, filtered through the changing skies of the nearby English Channel, gives these dark wood and light rendered facades an incomparable photographic patina, particularly in the early morning or late afternoon.
Architecture
The house is in the tradition of timber-framed and half-timbered houses that characterise 16th-century Breton civil architecture. Its street-facing facade features an oak-framed structure with cob or brick infill, using the corbelled timber-frame technique: each storey slightly overhangs the previous one, a construction technique that maximises the height of the living space while partially protecting the lower levels from the elements. This technique, common throughout northern Europe, is particularly well expressed in Brittany in the treatment of the exposed timbers. The carved decoration is the most remarkable architectural feature of the house. The corner posts, runners and brackets supporting the projecting storeys are covered with Renaissance ornamentation typical of the Trégor region: foliage scrolls, grotesque figures, medallions with heads in profile and geometric motifs bear witness to the high quality of local craftsmanship. These sculptures skilfully combine the late Gothic influences that persisted in Brittany with the new decorative repertoire that emerged from the Italian Renaissance, disseminated through engravings and models circulating in carpenters' and woodcarvers' workshops. Steeply pitched roofs, characteristic of Breton architecture, crown the ensemble and contribute to the balance of the proportions. The stone or wooden mullioned windows, evenly spaced across the façade, punctuate the vertical composition of the elevation. The stylistic coherence of the building as a whole means that it can be attributed to a homogeneous building campaign, with no major alterations to the load-bearing structure over the centuries.
Related Figures
Commanditaire inconnu — probable marchand ou notable trégorois du XVIe siècle, commanditaire présumé de la demeureCharpentiers-sculpteurs du Trégor — artisans anonymes auteurs du décor sculpté RenaissanceInspecteurs des Beaux-Arts — responsables de l'instruction du dossier d'inscription MH en 1926François Ier — roi dont le règne (1515-1547) coïncide avec l'essor de la Renaissance en Bretagne et la construction probable de la maisonAnne de Bretagne — duchesse (1477-1514) dont l'union avec la France ouvre la Bretagne aux influences culturelles de la Renaissance française
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Maison du 16e siècle located?
Maison du 16e siècle is located in Lannion, 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.