Maison ou ancien Hôtel Magon de la Larde
MonumentHidden Treasure
Maison ou ancien Hôtel Magon de la Larde, located in Saint-Malo (Département 35), 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-Malo, Département 35, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.6472, -2.0241
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00090824
Joyau malouin du premier XVIII e siècle, l'hôtel Magon de la Larde incarne l'opulence des grands armateurs corsaires : façade en granit de Bretagne, ordonnancement classique et mémoire d'une famille qui fit fortune sur toutes les mers du globe.
History
Nestling in the unspoilt enclave of Saint-Malo's inner city, the Hôtel Magon de la Larde is one of the urban residences most representative of the Breton merchant aristocracy of the early 18th century. Whereas most Malouinières were built in the countryside to accommodate shipowners between two ocean-going campaigns, this private mansion has a resolutely urban presence, within easy reach of the quays and trading posts. Its sober granite elegance contrasts with the interior splendour that tradition attributes to its patrons, major players in international trade at the time. What sets the building apart in the dense fabric of the corsair town is precisely this tension between exterior discretion and interior refinement, a characteristic trait of the Malouin merchant bourgeoisie keen to display its success without excessive ostentation. The rigorous proportions of the façade, the workmanship of the window surrounds and the quality of the grey-blue granite bonding bear witness to an architectural care that is unusual for a private residence of this era and this region. To visit the Hôtel Magon de la Larde is to plunge back into the golden age of Saint-Malo, that of the Great Companies, the spice trade and ocean racing. Curious passers-by who look up at its façade immediately perceive the ambition of a family who intended to inscribe their power in stone as much as on the registers of the Chamber of Commerce. The setting, meanwhile, is incomparable: the cobbled streets of the inner city, the ramparts within walking distance, the Atlantic sea spray polishing the granite - all combine to make this visit both an architectural and historical experience, deeply rooted in the maritime and merchant identity of Northern Brittany.
Architecture
The Hôtel Magon de la Larde is part of the French provincial classicism movement as expressed in the port towns of Brittany in the early 18th century. The facade, built of the grey granite typical of the Malouin region, is symmetrical with regular bays: mullioned windows replaced by wide cross-pieces, slightly projecting surrounds and a moulded cornice crowning the whole. The roof, probably made of Anjou slate in accordance with regional custom, has a steep slope punctuated by pedimented dormers that provide light for the attic space. Inside, the layout follows the model for private mansions of the period: an entrance hall served by a stone staircase with a wrought iron handrail, reception rooms in a row on the raised ground floor, and private flats on the upper floors. The interior decor - high panelling, painted wood panelling, fireplaces with carved trumeaux - reflects the Regency taste that prevailed in the first decades of the 18th century, combining the rigour of Louis XIV with an emerging lightness of ornament. The urban plot, narrow according to the constraints of the inner city, imposes a vertical and compact massing, without a courtyard of honour in the Parisian style, but probably with a courtyard or small garden at the rear overlooking the alleyway. This adaptation to the constraints of the fortified medieval fabric is itself a signature of Malo's civil architecture, capable of infusing a classical dignity into cramped property holdings.
Related Figures
Jean-Baptiste Magon de la Larde — armateur malouin, probable commanditaire ou premier occupant de l'hôtel au début du XVIIIe siècleLa famille Magon — dynastie d'armateurs et négociants qui domina le commerce maritime malouin entre 1660 et 1760René Magon de la Villehuchet — membre éminent de la famille, administrateur de la Compagnie des Indes, représentant du rayonnement commercial des MagonDuguay-Trouin — corsaire malouin contemporain de la construction, dont les victoires en mer enrichirent indirectement toute la bourgeoisie négociante de la villeRobert Surcouf — figure tutélaire du négoce et de la course malouine, dont l'époque prolonge l'univers social dans lequel s'inscrit l'hôtel
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Maison ou ancien Hôtel Magon de la Larde located?
Maison ou ancien Hôtel Magon de la Larde is located in Saint-Malo, Département 35 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Maison ou ancien Hôtel Magon de la Larde built?
Maison ou ancien Hôtel Magon de la Larde dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Maison ou ancien Hôtel Magon de la Larde open to visitors?
Maison ou ancien Hôtel Magon de la Larde is currently closed to visitors.
