Maison de Quintin
MonumentHidden Treasure
Maison de Quintin, located in Quintin (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
- Quintin, Département 22, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.4034, -2.9106
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00089561
In the heart of the old town of Quintin, this 17th-century house reveals its moulded eaves beams and a mysterious head sculpted in relief, living witnesses to the splendour of a town that became a duchy in 1691.
History
In the cobbled streets of Quintin, a small town full of character in the Côtes-d'Armor region, this 17th-century house stands out as a fragment of history preserved in the midst of the old urban fabric. Listed as a Historic Monument since 1951, it belongs to the group of civil buildings that give Quintin its unique atmosphere, a blend of popular architecture and bourgeois refinement typical of the rapidly expanding cloth-making towns of Brittany. What immediately sets this residence apart is the quality of its moulded wooden eaves beams, visible on both floors of the façade. These corbelled elements, typical of Breton urban construction in the 16th and 17th centuries, are more than just structural supports: their careful moulding betrays the desire of an owner to show off his status and his taste for fine craftsmanship. The oak wood, with its centuries-old patina, is now an amber colour that contrasts harmoniously with the local stone. But the most intriguing detail of the façade is undoubtedly the small head sculpted in relief on the first floor. An enigmatic face carved in stone or wood, it attracts passers-by and reminds us that civil architecture in the modern era liked to punctuate its facades with apotropaic or decorative figures, heirs to a medieval imagination that was still very much alive in the Brittany of the Grand Siècle. To visit this house is to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of a town that reached its apogee in the era of linen cloth and the textile trade, a prosperity that enabled the merchants and notables of Quintin to build these fine residences, now listed. The monument can be visited from the street, making it an ideal stop-off on a stroll through the historic centre, between Notre-Dame Basilica and the Château des Ducs.
Architecture
The house is typical of the urban civil architecture of inland Brittany in the 17th century, where the carpenter's skills rival those of the mason. The façade is punctuated by moulded wooden eaves beams on both storeys, a corbelled arrangement that historically made it possible to increase the living space on each storey while protecting the ground floor from the elements. The quality of the mouldings - probably with cavet, groove or quarter-round profiles in keeping with the decorative canons of the period - testifies to a high level of craftsmanship, using carpenters trained in the decorative practices of the late Renaissance. The most striking feature is the small head sculpted in relief at the height of the first floor. This motif, frequently found in 16th and 17th century Breton civil architecture, could have had several meanings: a prophylactic figure to ward off evil spirits, a representation of the owner or an allegorical figure, or a simple decorative ornament in the tradition of the Renaissance grotesque. Its modest size and discreet positioning suggest that it was part of the overall composition of the façade, rather than a monumental commission. The walls are probably built of granite or schist rubble, the dominant materials in Breton construction during this period, while the roof must have been covered in slate, as was almost universal practice in the Côtes-d'Armor region. The whole bears witness to a successful synthesis between regional building traditions and decorative influences from the great artistic centres of France and Italy, disseminated by the architectural treatises in circulation in the 17th century.
Related Figures
Famille de Lorges — seigneurs puis ducs de Quintin en 1691, dont l'ascension nobiliaire accompagne le développement architectural de la villeArtisans charpentiers quintinoises du XVIIe siècle — auteurs anonymes des poutres moulurées et de la tête sculptée, maîtres du travail sur bois dans la tradition bretonneMarchands toiliers de Quintin — bourgeoisie commerçante qui finança la construction des demeures civiles remarquables de la ville aux XVIe et XVIIe sièclesInspecteurs des Monuments Historiques (1951) — responsables de la reconnaissance patrimoniale de la maison et de son inscription officielle
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Maison de Quintin located?
Maison de Quintin is located in Quintin, Département 22 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Maison de Quintin built?
Maison de Quintin dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Maison de Quintin open to visitors?
Maison de Quintin is currently closed to visitors.