Maison, face à l'église
MonumentHidden Treasure
Maison, face à l'église, located in Corlay (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
- Corlay, Département 22, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.3178, -3.0587
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00089066
Facing the church in Corlay, this early 17th-century residence epitomises Breton domestic architecture in all its granite sobriety, with its balanced volumes and sculpted details typical of middle-class houses in the Trégor region.
History
Standing opposite the parish church in Corlay, in the Côtes-d'Armor region of Brittany, this house dating from the first quarter of the 17th century is one of the few surviving examples of Breton middle-class housing from the transition period between the late Renaissance and the Classical Age. Its position opposite the church building is not accidental: in Breton towns of the period, the most opulent residences were often built in the immediate vicinity of the church, a sign of asserted social status and ostensible piety. What sets this house apart from the ordinary buildings of Corlay is the obvious quality of its workmanship. The local granite, ubiquitous in the architecture of Central Brittany, is cut with particular care: moulded window frames, worked lintels, carefully dressed quoins. These details reveal the work of skilled craftsmen, undoubtedly from the workshops that used to embellish the region's manor houses and churches. A visit to this residence is an invitation to take a journey into the daily life of a well-to-do family in the market town of Corlay at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries. Merchants, lordly officers and rural notables may have lived here, enjoying relative but real comfort at a time when Brittany, still an autonomous province under its own nobility, was enjoying a degree of agricultural and commercial prosperity. The immediate setting adds to the interest of this discovery: Corlay, perched on the heights of Central Brittany, offers a panoramic view over the rolling landscapes of the Argoat. The neighbouring church, whose presence probably guided the siting of this house, forms a coherent urban ensemble with it, a precious vestige of the ancient built fabric of the village. Listed as a Historic Monument since 1965, the house benefits from protection that guarantees the preservation of its authentic architectural features. It is one of a number of remarkable houses that make certain Breton villages veritable open-air museums, often unknown to the general tourist trade, but invaluable for anyone interested in the day-to-day history of Brittany.
Architecture
The house at Corlay is part of the tradition of Breton domestic architecture of the early 17th century, heir to the formulas developed in the manor houses and bourgeois dwellings of the late Renaissance. Granite, the local stone par excellence from Central Brittany, is the dominant material, both for the load-bearing walls and for the sculpted decorative elements. Its slightly bluish grey hue, characteristic of Armorican granite, lends an austere sobriety to the whole, tempered by the play of light and shade in the mouldings. The main facade, facing the parish church, has a regular layout typical of middle-class homes of the period: bays of windows with moulded frames, entrance door set into a neat architrave, cornice or string course marking the separation of levels. The openings are relatively generous for the period, reflecting the concern for comfort and light that was typical of buildings in the early 17th century. The roof, made of slate in accordance with Breton custom, had to be steeply pitched to suit the region's climatic conditions. Inside, the layout of the rooms probably followed the classic layout of Breton dwellings from this period: a large lower hall serving as the main living area, bedrooms upstairs, and outbuildings or outbuildings in a lean-to or ancillary building. The monumental fireplace, a central element of heating and domestic prestige, would have had pride of place in the main room, its sculpted jambs and mantelpiece the most visible expression of the patron's status.
Related Figures
Vicomtes de Rohan — seigneurs de Corlay, dont la présence a structuré le développement du bourg et favorisé l'essor d'une bourgeoisie localeCommanditaire anonyme (v. 1600-1625) — notable local, probablement marchand ou officier de justice, qui fit édifier la demeure face à l'égliseArtisans tailleurs de pierre locaux — maîtres maçons bretons formés dans les chantiers des manoirs et églises du Centre-Bretagne au tournant des XVIe-XVIIe sièclesInspecteurs des Monuments Historiques (1965) — agents du service patrimonial qui reconnurent et protégèrent officiellement la valeur architecturale de la maison
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Maison, face à l'église located?
Maison, face à l'église is located in Corlay, Département 22 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Maison, face à l'église built?
Maison, face à l'église dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Maison, face à l'église open to visitors?
Maison, face à l'église is currently closed to visitors.