Maison ou hôtel Hay
MonumentHidden Treasure
Maison ou hôtel Hay, 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
- 48.6502, -2.0234
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00090817
Built in 1711 by Irish shipowner Guillaume White, this grand granite privateer's house embodies the golden age of Malouin - and haunted Chateaubriand's childhood dreams.
History
In the heart of Saint-Malo's inner city, the Hôtel Hay - formerly known as the Hôtel White - stands as one of the most eloquent reminders of the maritime prosperity that made the privateer city such a legend in the early 18th century. Its austere, majestic silhouette, made entirely of granite, stands in harmony with the Breton sky and the neighbouring ramparts, a harmony that can only be found in great seaside mansions. What sets this building apart from the mass of houses on the island of Saint Malo is first and foremost its original purpose: to serve as a monumental entrance to the town. Its arcaded ground floor, rare in the urban fabric of Saint-Malo, gives it an almost palatial dignity, reminiscent of the great trading squares of Atlantic port cities. The three storeys above, punctuated by stone bands and pierced by unusually high windows, bear witness to an unusual architectural ambition for a businessman, however influential he may have been. To visit the Hôtel Hay is to follow in the footsteps of an era when the privateers of Saint Malo - patented by the King and feared on all seas - built up veritable fortunes and displayed them in stone. The façade, which is best seen as you walk up the street from the port, is striking in its effect: the classical regularity of its bays contrasts with the labyrinthine character of the surrounding streets. The building is also part of the personal geography of François-René de Chateaubriand, a native of Saint-Malo. This house was part of his childhood scenery, one of those urban landmarks that nourish a writer's memory and imagination. For those who love literary correspondence as much as architecture, the Hôtel Hay takes on an extra dimension, that of a romantic memory engraved in granite.
Architecture
The Hôtel Hay is part of the Malouin style of civil architecture from the first quarter of the 18th century, characterised by classical sobriety tempered by the harshness of the local materials used. The building is built entirely of large granite blocks - carefully hewn blocks in the typical blue-grey of the Malouin region - which gives it both its legendary sturdiness in the face of the sea spray and a formal gravity that commands respect. The rectangular plan, simple and functional, reflects the priorities of a builder from the world of maritime trade: monumentality takes precedence over ornament. The composition of the façade follows a rigorous classical logic. The ground floor is arcaded, an arrangement that evokes the loggias of the great Mediterranean trading houses and gives the building an unusual openness to the urban space in the context of Saint Malo. Above, three storeys of very high windows - proportions typical of late Louis XIV taste - are separated by horizontal stone bands that emphasise the horizontal nature of the building and reinforce its monumental character. Finally, an attic storey with pedimented dormers crowns the building and provides a transition to the sloping roofs typical of Breton architecture. The overall impression is one of rigour and restrained power, far removed from the exuberance of the châteaux of the Loire or the splendour of Versailles, but perfectly in keeping with the identity of a city turned towards the sea and the horizon. The Hôtel Hay illustrates what might be called Atlantic classicism: sparing in ornamentation, generous in volume, indestructible in materials.
Related Figures
Guillaume White — négociant armateur d'origine irlandaise, commanditaire et fondateur de l'édifice en 1711François-René de Chateaubriand — écrivain et mémorialiste malouin, pour qui l'hôtel Hay constituait un souvenir d'enfanceFamille Hay — armateurs malouins ayant donné son nom définitif à l'édifice au XVIIIe siècleLouis Arretche — architecte en chef de la reconstruction de Saint-Malo après 1944, gardien du contexte urbain dans lequel s'inscrit l'édifice
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Maison ou hôtel Hay located?
Maison ou hôtel Hay is located in Saint-Malo, Département 35 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Maison ou hôtel Hay built?
Maison ou hôtel Hay dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Maison ou hôtel Hay open to visitors?
Maison ou hôtel Hay is currently closed to visitors.
