Malouinière de la Grande Gâtinais
MonumentHidden Treasure
Malouinière de la Grande Gâtinais, located in Saint-Coulomb (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-Coulomb, Département 35, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.6724, -1.9602
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00090969
Perched on the heights of Saint-Coulomb, Grande Gâtinais soberly embodies the late elegance of the Malouinières, the privateers' homes with their austere facades and triangular pediments so characteristic of the Malouin region.
History
Just a stone's throw from Saint-Malo, in the coastal bocage of Ille-et-Vilaine, the malouinière de la Grande Gâtinais stands as a discreet but eloquent reminder of a time when the shipowners and privateers of Saint-Malo liked to build sober country retreats far from the hustle and bustle of the port. Its unadorned architecture, all restraint and proportion, contrasts with the flamboyance one might expect from these men who braved the seas and amassed considerable fortunes. What makes the Grande Gâtinais truly singular is precisely its status as a late example of a codified architectural model. Built in the second half of the eighteenth century, it adopts the aesthetic codes of the classic malouinières with an almost doctrinal fidelity, while betraying, through certain details - the dryness of its modenature, the slightly amplified proportions of its wings - a more advanced date of completion. In this way, it is a noble pastiche, a tribute paid by a generation to the building ideals of its predecessors. The façade, with its two bays and two storeys, immediately catches the eye with its rigorous balance. The triangular pediment that crowns the central bay, the only element of fantasy in this austere composition, is enough to enliven the whole and give it a quiet dignity. Here we find again that Malo sense of restrained monumentality, the ability to suggest grandeur without ever becoming ostentatious. The surrounding setting reinforces this sense of reserved elegance. Set in the grassy countryside surrounding Saint-Coulomb, the residence enjoys an uninterrupted view over a landscape typical of the Emerald Coast, where hedged meadows and maritime vistas meet. Visitors with an appreciation of eighteenth-century domestic architecture will find it a serene and instructive place for contemplation.
Architecture
The Grande Gâtinais malouinière is a perfect illustration of the typological characteristics of this type of regional residence. Its main facade, facing south as is customary in the Malouin region, has two bays framed by slightly projecting side wings, whose relatively large mass in relation to the central body is one of the clues enabling the building to be dated to the second half of the 18th century. Two levels of elevation, strictly punctuated by soberly framed rectangular openings, give the building a measured verticality. The only concession to ornamentation is the triangular pediment over the central bay, a recurring element in the formal vocabulary of the Malouinières and a direct legacy of French classical architecture. Its proportions - judged slightly inadequate by analysts, reflecting a less assured mastery of the model than in the founding buildings of the genre - nonetheless give the façade its essential dignity. The modenature, described as dry in the heritage analysis, reveals a more sparing treatment of architectural details than in the great malouinières of the seventeenth century. The materials used are those of the local building tradition: Brittany granite, extracted from quarries in the Malouine region, gives the walls their characteristic bluish-grey hue, inseparable from the built landscape of the Emerald Coast. The steeply pitched roof, covered in slate, contributes to this sober chromatic balance that time and the elements have further patinated, reinforcing the feeling of a residence perfectly rooted in its territory.
Related Figures
Prosper Banéat — érudit et inventoriste breton, auteur d'un répertoire des monuments d'Ille-et-Vilaine, première source écrite sur la Grande GâtinaisLes armateurs et corsaires malouins du XVIIe-XVIIIe siècle — commanditaires du type architectural dont la Grande Gâtinais est l'héritièreRené Duguay-Trouin — corsaire malouin emblématique dont les contemporains bâtirent les premières malouinières servant de modèle à la Grande GâtinaisRobert Surcouf — figure tutélaire de la course malouine, incarnant l'idéal social auquel aspiraient les commanditaires de demeures telles que la Grande Gâtinais
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Malouinière de la Grande Gâtinais located?
Malouinière de la Grande Gâtinais is located in Saint-Coulomb, Département 35 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Malouinière de la Grande Gâtinais built?
Malouinière de la Grande Gâtinais dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Malouinière de la Grande Gâtinais open to visitors?
Malouinière de la Grande Gâtinais is currently closed to visitors.
