Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The hotel located at the 10 courtyard La-Houssaye, in Saint-Malo, dates from 1673, although the circumstances of its construction remain obscure. An unconfirmed hypothesis suggests that it would have been built for the Duke of Chaulnes, lieutenant general and then governor of Brittany between 1669 and 1695, established in the city from 1672. The sponsor, probably an affluent character linked to Rennes' influential circles, reportedly appealed to artists close to the Parliament of Brittany to decorate the hotel.

The painted ceiling, rediscovered in 1979, presents a decorative vocabulary similar to that of the Tournelle Council Chamber in Rennes. This sumptuous decor suggests the intervention of Antoine de Brays, renowned interior architect, or a member of his workshop. The building, partially protected since 1946, illustrates the artistic exchanges between Saint-Malo and Rennes in the 17th century.

The protected elements include the façades, the corner pavilion, the fence wall, the gate, the roofs (registered in 1946), and the 17th century painted ceiling (registered in 1995). The latter, located in an apartment in the building, bears witness to the influence of the Rennes workshops in the decoration of Breton private hotels of the time.

Although the exact allocation of the ceiling to Antoine de Brays is not established, the stylistic relationship with the achievements of the Rennes Parliament reinforces the hypothesis of collaboration between artisans of the two cities. The hotel, now located at 8 rue de la Victoire according to GPS coordinates, maintains an approximate historical location, noted as "passable" (5/10) in the databases.

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