Maison ou hôtel de la Sauldre
MonumentHidden Treasure
Maison ou hôtel de la Sauldre, 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
- 48.6466, -2.0247
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00090833
In the heart of the inner city of Saint Malo, the Hôtel de la Sauldre epitomises the bourgeois elegance of the 18th century: a façade of Brittany granite, classic sobriety and the discreet refinement of a prosperous shipowner.
History
Tucked away in the cobbled streets of Saint-Malo's inner city, the Hôtel de la Sauldre is one of those architectural gems that the corsair town managed to preserve from the bombardments of 1944 - or to recreate identically in spirit. An eighteenth-century civil building, it bears witness to the wealth and taste of the Malouin merchant and armourer bourgeoisie, who built some of the finest urban residences in Brittany. What makes the Hôtel de la Sauldre unique is the consistency of its architectural language: whereas other port towns have mixed styles over time, Saint-Malo has developed its own sober and powerful grammar, based on the bluish granite of the region, the regularity of the openings and restrained but precise ornamentation. The Hôtel de la Sauldre is a perfect example of this, halfway between classical French rigour and traditional Breton construction. To visit this building is to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of a city that, in the 18th century, was one of the busiest maritime centres in Europe. Shipowners, merchants and ocean-going captains built their prestige in stone, competing in elegance just a stone's throw from the ramparts. The Hôtel de la Sauldre speaks of this discreet golden age, far from the flamboyance of Versailles but not without dignity. The setting itself contributes to the experience: the narrow streets of the inner city filter the Atlantic light in a special way, sculpting the granite volumes with an intensity that changes according to the time of day. For lovers of civil architecture or urban history, this monument, listed as a Historic Monument since 1942, is a must-see when exploring Saint-Malo.
Architecture
The Hôtel de la Sauldre follows the canons of 18th-century civil architecture in Saint-Malo, characterised by the use of local granite - a hard stone, bluish to grey depending on the light - executed with the precision of a stonemason that distinguishes the great hotels of the walled town. The main facade is sober and symmetrical, with a classical layout of openings: windows with moulded architraves, carefully worked surrounds, straight or slightly arched lintels depending on the floor. The carriage entrance or pedestrian door, an element of social prestige, is treated with the particular care that the Malo bourgeoisie reserved for this representative element. The interior layout is probably organised around an axial vestibule serving the reception rooms on the ground floor and the private flats on the upper floors, according to a functional layout typical of provincial town houses in the Age of Enlightenment. The roofs, with their steep Breton slope, are covered in slate, the dominant roofing material in the walled city and perfectly suited to the Atlantic climate. The distinctive feature of Malouin architecture lies in its ability to combine formal austerity with quality of execution: without the exuberant ornamentation of Baroque or Rocaille, it focuses on perfection of detail, the quality of joints and the proportion of openings. The Hôtel de la Sauldre illustrates this aesthetic of fairness and durability, which makes Saint-Malo's inner city an architectural ensemble of remarkable coherence.
Related Figures
Pierre Yencesse — architecte en chef chargé de la reconstruction de Saint-Malo après 1944, sous la direction duquel les monuments protégés furent restituésLes armateurs Magon de la Lande — grande famille malouine du XVIIIe siècle, représentative du milieu social ayant commandité ce type d'hôtels particuliersRené Duguay-Trouin — corsaire et officier de marine malouin (1673-1736), figure emblématique de l'âge d'or maritime dans lequel s'inscrit la construction de l'édificeRobert Surcouf — corsaire malouin (1773-1827), symbole de la prospérité maritime qui anima la vie des hôtels bourgeois de Saint-MaloJacques Cartier — navigateur malouin (1491-1557), ancêtre symbolique de la tradition d'aventure maritime qui fonda la fortune de la cité
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Maison ou hôtel de la Sauldre located?
Maison ou hôtel de la Sauldre is located in Saint-Malo, Département 35 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Maison ou hôtel de la Sauldre built?
Maison ou hôtel de la Sauldre dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Maison ou hôtel de la Sauldre open to visitors?
Maison ou hôtel de la Sauldre is currently closed to visitors.
