Maison de Guingamp
MonumentHidden Treasure
Maison de Guingamp, 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
- 48.5628, -3.1526
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00089183
In the heart of Guingamp, this 16th-century house epitomises Breton Renaissance architecture at its purest: carved corbels, half-timbering and a timber-framed façade make it a listed heritage gem.
History
Nestling in the medieval urban fabric of Guingamp, this 16th-century house is one of the most eloquent examples of Breton civil architecture during the Renaissance. In a town that still retains remarkable vestiges of its commercial and craft past, it stands out for the quality of its construction and the coherence of its architectural vocabulary, typical of the middle-class homes of inland Brittany. What makes this building unique is its ability to embody in a single structure the two souls of Guingamp architecture in the century of François I: the medieval construction tradition, with its timber-framed structures and bold corbelling, and the first stirrings of the Renaissance, which can be seen in the modelling of the bays and the care taken with the sculpted details. The local granite stone, the king of materials in the Côtes-d'Armor region, meets the woodwork in a harmony that is typical of the Armor region. Most of the architectural interest is concentrated on the street façade: the levels are superimposed with a consummate art of composition, the successive corbels creating a slight projection that enlivens the façade plan and reflects the social standing of its first owners. The sculpted details - crossettes, mouldings and post supports - bear witness to the skills of the Guingamp craftsmen of the time. For today's visitor, this house is best appreciated from the street, in its historic urban context. Guingamp, a ducal town with a famous Renaissance fountain in the Place du Centre, offers an ideal setting for an architectural stroll. The house is part of a heritage trail that reveals the unsuspected wealth of this small capital of the Côtes-d'Armor region, halfway between Brest and Saint-Brieuc.
Architecture
The house belongs to the large family of half-timbered and timber-framed houses dating from the 16th century, which were very common in the towns and cities of inland Brittany. Its structure is based on an oak frame, with the key components - corner posts, runners and connecting pieces - assembled using traditional Breton carpentry techniques. Local granite, extracted from quarries near Guingamp, is used for the foundations and lower parts of the building, providing a solid foundation for the whole. The multi-storey facade on the street is typical of the corbelled houses typical of the Breton Renaissance: each storey projects slightly over the previous one, allowing the living space to be increased while creating a dynamic architectural rhythm. The façade posts, sculpted with geometric or floral motifs according to the custom of the time, bear witness to the care taken with the decoration. The bays, with stone or wooden mullions depending on their location, adopt the new proportions introduced by the Renaissance, being wider and better lit than their medieval counterparts. The roof, steeply pitched in the Armorican tradition, was originally covered with blue-black slate extracted from the slate quarries of Anjou or Brittany, an almost universal material in the region from the 16th century onwards. The whole is a sober, balanced composition, characteristic of the Breton taste for architecture that combines solidity, functionality and discreet ornamental refinement, without ever succumbing to the decorative exuberance seen in the grand houses of the Loire.
Related Figures
Maîtres charpentiers guingampais du XVIe siècle, artisans anonymes de l'architecture à pans de bois bretonneMarchands drapiers et liniers de Guingamp, commanditaires probables des demeures bourgeoises RenaissanceAnne de Bretagne (1477-1514), duchesse sous le règne de laquelle Guingamp connut son apogée ducalFrançois Ier (1494-1547), roi de France sous lequel l'union franco-bretonne fut consommée en 1532Inspecteurs des Monuments Historiques des années 1920, artisans de la politique de protection du patrimoine civil breton
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Maison de Guingamp located?
Maison de Guingamp is located in Guingamp, Département 22 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Maison de Guingamp built?
Maison de Guingamp dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Maison de Guingamp open to visitors?
Maison de Guingamp is currently closed to visitors.
