Maison du 17e siècle
MonumentHidden Treasure
Maison du 17e siècle, located in Lamballe (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
- Lamballe, Département 22, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.4695, -2.5154
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00089230
In the heart of Lamballe, this 17th-century residence reveals the sober elegance of Breton civil architecture: sculpted half-timbering, granite and corbelling bear witness to exceptional local craftsmanship.
History
Nestling in the cobbled streets of Lamballe, the former capital of the county of Penthièvre, this 17th-century house discreetly embodies the bourgeois prosperity of a booming merchant town. Protected as a Historic Monument since 1926, it is one of the few preserved examples of Breton urban housing from the classical period, when Lamballe was asserting its role as an economic and administrative crossroads between the coasts of northern Brittany and the hinterland. What makes this residence truly unique is the quality of its construction: the facades combine local granite, quarried in the Côtes-d'Armor region, with cleverly crafted timber-framed structures. The sculpted modillions and finely carved lintels are a reminder that Lamballe had first-rate masons and carpenters in the Grand Siècle, trained in the wake of the region's major religious projects. To visit this house is to immerse yourself in Lamballe's medieval and post-medieval urban fabric, just a stone's throw from the collegiate church of Notre-Dame and the Mathurin Méheut museum. The building can be admired from the street, revealing its generous volumes, its mullioned and transomed windows, and its steeply pitched Angers slate roof, typical of northern Breton architecture. The surrounding neighbourhood forms a coherent architectural whole, with each façade telling the story of two centuries of local history. For heritage lovers, the house is part of a particularly well-preserved tour of old Lamballe, offering an authentic view of the town under the Ancien Régime. Photographers and history buffs will find a wealth of material here, far from the over-frequented sites.
Architecture
The house is typical of 17th-century Breton civil architecture, a pragmatic combination of granite and wood that is a hallmark of the Côtes-d'Armor region. The street façade, which is probably partially corbelled, features dressed granite masonry walls and timber-framed structures on the upper levels, a common technique in Breton towns where the mastery of carpentry was as advanced as that of stonework. The openings, probably with stone mullions or straight moulded lintels, show a concern for orderly composition without becoming ostentatious. The roof, covered in traditional Breton Angers slate, has steep slopes to cope with the region's heavy rainfall and harsh Armorican winters. The general massing - a two- or three-storey main building, with the possibility of a lean-to or return wing - is in keeping with the urban middle-class housing of the period, designed to house reception areas, family accommodation and, on the ground floor, a craft or commercial activity. The sculpted details, whether corbels, modillions or brackets supporting the corbels, are the most artistically precious elements of the house. Carried out by local stonemasons, they reveal a sober but masterful decorative vocabulary, borrowing a few motifs from the classical repertoire (scrolls, stylised acanthus leaves) without abandoning the functional robustness characteristic of Breton buildings.
Related Figures
Commanditaire inconnu de la bourgeoisie lamballaise (XVIIe siècle) — vraisemblablement marchand ou officier royalMaîtres maçons et charpentiers du pays de Penthièvre, artisans anonymes de l'architecture civile bretonne du Grand SiècleIntendants royaux de Bretagne (XVIIe siècle) — acteurs du renouveau urbain des villes bretonnes sous Louis XIII et Louis XIVInspecteurs des Monuments Historiques (années 1920) — à l'origine de la reconnaissance et de la protection de l'édifice en 1926
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Maison du 17e siècle located?
Maison du 17e siècle is located in Lamballe, 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.