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Origin and history

This building, located in Rochefort-en-Terre (British), dates from the 1st quarter of the 17th century. It is integrated into a collection of 16th century buildings, grouped between the church and the halls. Although some have assumed that they were outbuildings of the old castle, the most plausible hypothesis is that it was used as housing for the canons of the local collegiate. Its facade is distinguished by alternating granite and shale stone, an architectural style typical of the region.

The side door of the building is circular, surmounted by an egg-eye, while a skylight adorned with a small winged pediment and a medallion in the eardrum adds to its historic character. These decorative elements reflect the influence of emerging classical styles in the early seventeenth century. The building was partially protected by a registration order of 11 December 1937, covering its façade and roof.

Rochefort-en-Terre, ranked among the Most Beautiful Villages of France, preserves a medieval and Renaissance heritage marked by its religious and seigneurial past. The canons, members of a collegiate chapter, played a central role in the spiritual and social life of the city. Their presence would explain the concentration of ancient buildings around the church, place of power and assembly. This building thus illustrates the civil architecture linked to the ecclesiastical institutions of the time.

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