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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

La Maison dit du Bourreau is a half-timbered house located in Place du Martray in Lamballe-Armor, Côtes-d'Armor department, Brittany. Built in the 16th century (or perhaps in the late 15th century), it is one of the oldest houses in the city. His current name, often mistakenly associated with a executioner, actually comes from a deformation of "house of the Bourceau", the name of his first occupants. This name change would have been made for promotional reasons, although the details of this decision remain unclear.

The house has had several uses over the centuries. In the 20th century, it was used as a warehouse before being restored between 1966 and 1972. From 1972 to 2022, it housed the Mathurin-Meheut Museum, dedicated to the local artist Mathurin Méheut (1882-1958), native of Lamballe. Its architecture is characterized by wooden half-timbers painted in red "beef blood", typical of medieval Breton buildings, and rises on two floors.

The Maison du Bourreau enjoys double protection for historical monuments. The façade overlooking Martray Square was classified by decree of 22 November 1909, while the street façade and roofs were classified on 1 June 1964. These protections demonstrate its heritage importance. The house is now owned by the Côtes-d'Armor department, although its current status (open or closed to the public) is not specified in the available sources.

The erroneous etymology of the name has helped forge a local legend around this monument. Yet its history is above all that of a typical medieval residence, transformed over time to adapt to the needs of the city. Its early ranking (from 1909) underscores its architectural and historical interest in the urban landscape of Lamballe-Armor.

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