Maison du 16e siècle
MonumentHidden Treasure
Maison du 16e siècle, located in Tréguier (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
- Tréguier, Département 22, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.7876, -3.2325
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00089707
In the heart of Tréguier, this 16th-century house epitomises Breton half-timbered civil architecture, a preserved reminder of the commercial prosperity of an episcopal city during the Renaissance.
History
Nestling in the cobbled streets of Tréguier, the former capital of Trégor and one of Brittany's most illustrious episcopal towns, this 16th-century house stands out as an authentic fragment of the medieval and Renaissance urban fabric that has long made the reputation of this city at the confluence of the Jaudy and Guindy rivers. It belongs to a group of old houses that give Tréguier its exceptional character, between the Gothic cathedral and the private mansions of merchants. What makes this house so special is the permanence of its volumes and architectural features, typical of 16th-century Breton civil construction: oak framing, successive corbels, timber framing and a base of local granite. In a region where ashlar competes with carpentry, this residence bears witness to the skills of the carpenter-builders who worked for the wealthy bourgeoisie, merchants, officers and canons linked to the powerful cathedral of Saint-Tugdual. The visit is part of a stroll through the streets of Tréguier, a town full of character, where every crossroads reveals a half-timbered façade or a carved porch. To look at this house is to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of a town that was an active intellectual and commercial centre in the 16th century, the birthplace of Ernest Renan and long the seat of an influential Breton bishopric. The immediate setting, with the soaring silhouette of the spires of Saint-Tugdual cathedral as a backdrop and the corbelled houses that form the framework of the Place du Martray, offers architecture lovers and photographers a rare urban composition. The Atlantic light, filtering through the dark half-timbering, accentuates the relief of the sculptures and mouldings adorning the corner posts.
Architecture
The house is of the timber-framed type typical of 16th-century Breton civil architecture, combining a load-bearing frame of solid oak with a base of local granite. The street facade is corbelled - the upper storeys project slightly above the ground floor - a construction method common in Brittany that enabled the living space to be enlarged without encroaching on the public thoroughfare. The corner posts and runners are sculpted with motifs combining late Gothic and early Renaissance repertoires: foliage scrolls, stylised human heads, small figures or fantastical animals, betraying the hand of local carpenters and sculptors. The infill between the timbers was traditionally made of cob or mud brick, and sometimes shale veneer, depending on the resources available. Sixteenth-century bays often had stone or wooden mullions dividing the windows into two or four compartments. The roof, with its steep slope dictated by Brittany's Atlantic climate, was covered with slate from Anjou or Finistère, a noble material that was gradually replacing thatch in middle-class buildings of the time. Inside, the layout was organised around a spiral staircase, made of timber or stone, serving two or three levels. The main rooms probably still had a moulded granite fireplace, a key feature of domestic life, and a slate or terracotta floor. The ensemble forms a coherent and rare example of Renaissance domestic architecture in the Trégor region, of which few specimens have survived so intact.
Related Figures
Saint Tugdual — moine gallois fondateur du monastère de Tréguier au VIe siècle, à l'origine du rayonnement religieux de la villeSaint Yves (Yves Hélory de Kermartin, 1253-1303) — avocat des pauvres, saint patron de Tréguier, dont le culte assurait l'attractivité de la ville au XVIe siècleErnest Renan (1823-1892) — philologue et penseur né à Tréguier, figure intellectuelle qui contribua à la notoriété nationale de la villeLes chanoines du chapitre cathédral de Tréguier — commanditaires potentiels ou voisins influents de la demeure au XVIe siècleLes marchands drapiers du Trégor — classe sociale probable des bâtisseurs, enrichis par le commerce du lin et du chanvre au XVIe siècle
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Maison du 16e siècle located?
Maison du 16e siècle is located in Tréguier, 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.