Maison du 17e siècle
MonumentHidden Treasure
Maison du 17e siècle, located in Saint-Brieuc (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
- Saint-Brieuc, Département 22, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.5150, -2.7651
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00089588
In the heart of Saint-Brieuc, this 17th-century house epitomises Breton civil architecture in all its granite rigour, with its characteristic corbels and mullioned windows that have defied the centuries.
History
Nestling in the historic urban fabric of Saint-Brieuc, this 17th-century residence is one of the rare preserved examples of Breton civil architecture from the modern era. In a town that has undergone profound transformations over the centuries, it stands out as a living piece of history, an architectural milestone that the builders of the late Renaissance bequeathed to the city of Costarmor. What makes this house truly singular is its ability to condense into a single building the construction skills typical of inland Brittany during the Grand Siècle: the use of local granite, cut with precision, the corbelling that projects the upper floors onto the street, and the sober yet assertive sculpted details that testify to the bourgeois prosperity of its patron. It's a far cry from a lavish château, but that very discretion is its charm. The experience of visiting - or simply contemplating from the street - offers a glimpse into the daily lives of the notables of 17th-century Brioche: the merchants, lawyers and royal officers who populated these alleyways and whose homes set the pace for life in the Episcopal city. Attentive visitors will notice the quality of the stonework and the structural logic of the layout, which is typical of urban houses in the region. The immediate setting, in the heart of Saint-Brieuc, invites you to extend your walk through the old quarters of the town, a stone's throw from Saint-Etienne's cathedral and its medieval streets. This house, listed as a Historic Monument since 1926, is part of a coherent heritage trail, where architecture speaks louder than any legend.
Architecture
This 17th-century house in Saint-Brieuc belongs to the large family of Breton corbelled houses, a type of construction that was widespread in Brittany's towns and cities in the modern era. Built of bluish or grey granite, the king of materials in the Costarmorican region, its façade displays the typical characteristics of the local style: a ground floor firmly anchored to the street, with the upper storeys gradually projecting outwards thanks to the stone corbels, and a steeply pitched slate roof, well suited to the heavy rainfall of the Armorican climate. The openings - windows with stone mullions or cross bays - structure the façade in a way that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing. The lintels and jambs are carefully carved, sometimes adorned with sober mouldings or lightly carved decoration on the spandrels. The overall impression is one of controlled solidity, typical of Breton civil architecture of the Grand Siècle, which favoured robustness over decorative fantasy. Inside, the typical layout for this type of building includes a main room on the ground floor opening onto the public thoroughfare, an interior stone staircase leading to the residential floors, and usable attic space under the oak roof frame. The hourdis, floorboards and interior lintels bear witness to the quality of local craftsmanship, in the tradition of the journeymen carpenters and stonemasons who travelled around Brittany in the 17th century.
Related Figures
Les évêques de Saint-Brieuc du XVIIe siècle, dont l'influence façonnait le cadre urbain et architectural de la cité épiscopaleLes marchands de toile briochins, commanditaires probables de ce type de demeure bourgeoise prospèreLes tailleurs de pierre locaux, héritiers d'une longue tradition de travail du granit costarmoricainPaul Léon, directeur des Beaux-Arts dans les années 1920, figure centrale de la politique de protection du patrimoine civil ayant conduit à l'inscription de 1926Les notaires et officiers royaux de Saint-Brieuc, acteurs typiques de la bourgeoisie urbaine du XVIIe siècle breton
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Maison du 17e siècle located?
Maison du 17e siècle is located in Saint-Brieuc, 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.
