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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The house at 18 Place Sainte-Anne in Rennes is an emblematic building of Breton architectural heritage. Built in the 16th and 17th centuries, it illustrates the art of wood-pan construction, a technique used in the region at that time. Its torchi hurdles and facades decorated with fern leaf motifs make it a remarkable example of Renaissance civil architecture in Brittany. The entrance door, dated 1610, bears witness to the additions or renovations of the early seventeenth century.

This house, sometimes called the house of priests or the house of singers, belonged to the factory of Saint-Aubin, a parish institution. It served as housing for priests and parish officers, reflecting the Church's central role in the social and urban organization of Rennes at that time. Its designation as historic monuments in 1962 preserved its characteristic elements, such as the façade on the square and its roof, including chimney stumps.

Place Sainte-Anne, where this building stands, concentrates several wooden houses from the 16th and 17th centuries, forming a coherent complex of the historic centre of Rennes. These buildings, often surmounted by Rennes peaks, were both residential and commercial spaces (shops on the ground floor). Their preservation offers an overview of urban life and constructive techniques of the modern era in Brittany.

The architecture of the house is distinguished by its two square floors and attices, as well as by a two-span elevation with a high door on the first floor. These features, combined with sculptures adorning certain panels of wood, highlight the know-how of local artisans. Today, the building remains a tangible testimony to the religious and civil history of Rennes, while integrating into the contemporary urban landscape.

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