Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

This old house, located at 20 rue de la Poterie in Vitré (Ille-et-Vilaine), is a remarkable example of wood-pan urban architecture from the first half of the 16th century. Built in 1548, as confirmed by a dendrochronological analysis, it is distinguished by its half-timbered south facade, its drop-walls and its north facade in masonry of shale and sandstone. Its quadrangular plan, spread over five levels (cave, ground floor, entresol, first floor, attic), reflects a spatial organization typical of the merchant houses of the era.

The south façade, overlooking the Rue de la Poterie, was renovated in 2003-2004, but its original structure remains visible: arched porch in full hanger supported by octagonal pillars in sandstone, sled windows and cribs, and gable head covered with slate. The west facade, opening onto a venal, features neat sandstone and granite bays, including a door adorned with a braid, characteristic of the Breton Renaissance. Inside, monumental chimneys, ground beams and painted decorations testify to the easy status of its sponsor, probably a hemp canvas merchant.

The original staircase, a wooden screw attached to the west façade, disappeared in favour of a rotating staircase installed in the late 19th or early 20th century. Major transformations include the removal of the split wall and chimneys on the ground floor in the 1970s, as well as the creation of a recent entresol. Despite these changes, some original elements remain, such as the built-up and mortise carpentry farms or terracotta tiles decorated in the attic, similar to those of the Sévigné Hotel in Vitré.

The house is located in a historic islet bounded by Rue Saint-Louis, Rue Duguesclin (former rue Notre-Dame) and Rue la Poterie. Prior to 1842, it was part of an alignment of porches forming a covered gallery, typical of medieval urban commerce. The noble materials used (imported granite, local sandstone) and the exceptional height of the rooms (nearly 5 meters on the ground floor) underline its prestige. Ranked as a Historic Monument in 1943 for its facades and roof, it illustrates the opulence of the vitrean merchants in the Renaissance.

Subsequent work campaigns, such as 18th-century developments (woodworks, palmette fireplace) or controversial restoration of the woodpan in 2003, have altered some original provisions. However, the house retains traces of its mixed use: commercial space on the ground floor (street shop) and family housing on the first floor, separated by a split wall today partially destroyed. Its portal in basket handle, overlooking a venom, recalls the medieval parcel organization in strips.

Recent studies (2022-2023) have clarified its chronology: the creation of a basement above the porch at the end of the sixteenth century, the enlargement of the western bays in the eighteenth century, and the radical redevelopment of the ground floor in the 1970s. Despite these developments, the house remains a rare testimony of 16th century Breton civil architecture, mixing commercial functionality and residential prestige.

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