Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The house at 10 Rue d'Anjou in La Guerche-de-Bretagne is a 16th century building, representative of the civil architecture of this period. It is distinguished by its two-span porch, supported by wooden poles decorated with smooth squids and "old" motifs. These posts are based on stone solins to avoid moisture, while the low sandstone is embedded in the bearing posts. The wooden panel structure on the floor, adorned with the cross of Saint-André, and the croup roof covered with slate complete this remarkable architectural ensemble. Originally, the facade had carved pigeâtres and crowlets, now missing.

The porch, with a depth of 2.70 meters, has a cover independent of the rest of the building, a characteristic common among the city's porch houses. These buildings served both as a place of commerce on the ground floor and as a residence on the first floor, reflecting the socio-economic organization of the Breton villages during the Renaissance. The house, classified as a Historic Monument since 1948 for its facades, roofs and chimney stumps, also illustrates the use of local materials such as quartz microdiorite for stone walls.

An ancient postcard reveals that the façade was once coated, partially masking the sculpted decorations that are now altered or wooded. The chamfered windows visible on the west wall testify to the unusual depth of the house, typical of the urban dwellings of the time. Architectural analysis suggests a two-phase construction, with a wooden porch that appears to be "glued" on a pre-existing stone structure, highlighting the evolution of construction techniques between the 16th and 17th centuries.

Decorative elements, such as badges and geometric patterns, indicate a desire for ostentation peculiar to the wealthy owners of the time. The front cover overlooking the roof, although not detailed in the sources, reinforces the monumental character of this house, which is part of an urban complex consistent with its neighbour of number 12, sharing similar architectural and functional characteristics.

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