Maison de Vannes
MonumentHidden Treasure
Maison de Vannes, located in Vannes (Département 56), 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
- Vannes, Département 56, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.6578, -2.7576
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00091790
In the heart of the old town of Vannes, this 16th-century timber-framed house fascinates with its bold overhanging storeys and sumptuous carved beam, living testimony to the art of building in Brittany during the Renaissance.
History
Nestling in the labyrinth of medieval streets that make the historic centre of Vannes so famous, this half-timbered house is one of the most remarkable examples of 16th-century Breton civil architecture. Its successive corbelled storeys, which project boldly out onto the street as it rises, give it the silhouette so characteristic of urban dwellings of the late Middle Ages and Renaissance - an architecture in which the need to save space on the ground is transformed into a veritable aesthetic feat. What really sets this building apart from its neighbours is the exceptional quality of its carved beam, which runs between the first and second floors. In the tradition of Breton carpenters, this long wooden lintel is adorned with finely worked motifs - foliage, figures, allegorical scenes - that bear witness to the skills of Vannes craftsmen of the time and the prosperity of the patron. Such a wealth of decoration on a structural element says a great deal about the attention paid to social representation in the urban space of the 16th century. The location of the house at the corner of a square contributes to its spectacular character: the second storey juts out so far that it almost joins, diagonally, the corresponding storey of the building opposite it at the other corner, creating a virtual wooden arch over the passageway. This suspension bridge effect, both technical and dramatic, is one of the most striking visual sensations that old Vannes has to offer its attentive visitors. Taking a stroll through the historic centre of Vannes to discover this house also means immersing yourself in a district where each façade tells the story of several centuries of urban history. Here, the ashlar of the town houses rubs shoulders with the warm ochre and brown of the timber-framed buildings, in an architectural dialogue that centuries have harmonised. Listed as a Historic Monument since 1929, the house is an essential milestone in the recognition of the heritage of Vannes, one of Brittany's best-preserved medieval towns.
Architecture
The house belongs to the great tradition of timber-framed and corbelled buildings, characteristic of 15th-16th-century Breton and Norman civil architecture. The skeleton of the building is made up of a wooden framework - probably oak, the dominant species in the region - whose posts, runners and struts form an expressive network visible on the façade. The spaces between the frames are filled with cob or brick walling, which has probably been rendered or restored. The most spectacular element of the composition is the play of successive corbels: each storey overhangs the previous one by a noticeable projection, carried by corbels or carved timbers, creating an inverted pyramid effect that combines structural audacity and visual dynamism. This arrangement reaches its most striking expression on the second floor, whose projection comes so close as to almost touch the building opposite at the other corner of the square, forming a wooden archway over the passageway. The sculpted beam running between the first and second floors is the decorative jewel of the façade. In the tradition of Breton carpenters of the Renaissance, it is decorated with extremely fine relief motifs: interlacing, antique-style foliage and possibly stylised human or animal figures. This ornamentation, at the crossroads of the Flamboyant Gothic and the early Renaissance, is a strong social marker, signalling the house as the residence of a wealthy owner concerned about his image in the urban space.
Related Figures
Commanditaire anonyme vannetais (XVIe siècle) — probable marchand ou officier ayant fait construire la demeureCharpentiers-sculpteurs bretons du XVIe siècle — artisans responsables de la poutre sculptée et de l'ossatureInspecteurs des Monuments Historiques (1929) — auteurs de l'arrêté d'inscription reconnaissant la valeur patrimoniale de l'édificeDuchesse Anne de Bretagne (1477-1514) — figure tutélaire de Vannes, dont le règne précède immédiatement la construction et marque l'âge d'or de la ville
Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Maison de Vannes located?
Maison de Vannes is located in Vannes, Département 56 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Maison de Vannes built?
Maison de Vannes dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Maison de Vannes open to visitors?
Maison de Vannes is currently closed to visitors.