Maison du 17e siècle
MonumentHidden Treasure
Maison du 17e 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
- 48.5615, -3.1514
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00089186
A discreet yet eloquent testament to Guingamp during the Grand Siècle, this 17th-century house combines Breton austerity with the artisanal craftsmanship of a provincial bourgeoisie with a penchant for solidity and understated elegance.
History
In the heart of Guingamp, a town of art and history nestling in the Côtes-d'Armor department, this 17th-century house stands out as one of the rare built witnesses to a pivotal period when Brittany, newly integrated into the Kingdom of France, enjoyed remarkable commercial and craft prosperity. Listed as a Historic Monument since 1926, it belongs to that discreet but irreplaceable heritage that scholars sometimes refer to as "extraordinary ordinary architecture": buildings that, without claiming the grandeur of manor houses or private mansions, tell a disarmingly frank story of the daily life of a wealthy merchant or artisan class. What distinguishes this residence from the anonymous buildings of the same period is precisely the quality of its workmanship. The Breton masons and carpenters of the 17th century had mastered a skill passed down from the Middle Ages, and they used it here with an obvious sense of beauty. The details of the façade - the carefully carved window frames, the balanced proportions of the openings, the treatment of the lintels - reveal an architectural ambition that goes beyond mere functionality. Visiting this house is like taking a break from Guingamp's urban past. The town, whose famous Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours basilica has dominated the landscape since the 15th century, has preserved several layers of history in its narrow streets, which this building illustrates with rare authenticity. The monumental listing in 1926, an early one for an 'ordinary' house, bears witness to the visionary approach of the Commission des Monuments Historiques, which was keen to preserve the architectural identity of Breton towns before they were irrevocably transformed by modernisation. The immediate setting enhances the pleasure of discovery: the cobbled streets of Guingamp's historic centre, the neighbouring medieval half-timbered facades, and the lively atmosphere of a market town invite you to take a long architectural stroll. This seventeenth-century house occupies an essential place in this journey, like a link between the town's flamboyant Middle Ages and its revolutionary and modern times.
Architecture
The house is typical of 17th-century Breton civil architecture, where the robustness of local materials is combined with a keen sense of composition and proportion. The façade, probably built from grey granite from the Côtes-d'Armor region, a material that is omnipresent in Guingamp buildings, displays the eloquent sobriety typical of regional production: here, the quality of the stonework and the attention to detail speak louder than any superfluous ornamentation. The window surrounds, lintels and sills betray the hand of quarrymen and stonemasons skilled in their art. The ground plan is probably typical of the Breton town house, with two or three bays, two storeys and an attic. The slate roof, a traditional material of inland Brittany, crowns the building with the steep slope imposed by the region's winds and rainfall. The layout of the interior spaces, typical of 17th-century provincial architecture, undoubtedly distinguishes between a ground floor used for commercial or reception purposes and upper floors reserved for living quarters. Potentially remarkable architectural features include straight or curved pediment roof dormers in the attic, granite fireplaces with soberly moulded mantels, and perhaps traces of sculpted decoration on the window surrounds or cornices. These details, typical of Breton craftsmanship during the Grand Siècle, make this house an invaluable architectural document on building practices in a medium-sized town in inland Brittany.
Related Figures
Maître maçon guingampais anonyme, concepteur et bâtisseur de la demeure vers le début du XVIIe sièclePropriétaire fondateur probable : négociant en toiles ou officier royal de la communauté de GuingampMembres de la Commission des Monuments Historiques ayant instruit le dossier d'inscription en 1926Conservateur régional des Antiquités et Objets d'Art des Côtes-du-Nord ayant soutenu la protection patrimonialeArtisans tailleurs de pierre de la tradition granitière bretonne, héritiers d'un compagnonnage médiéval
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Maison du 17e siècle located?
Maison du 17e siècle is located in Guingamp, Département 22 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Maison du 17e siècle built?
Maison du 17e siècle dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Maison du 17e siècle open to visitors?
Maison du 17e siècle is currently closed to visitors.