Timeline

Origin and history

The house at 4 rue Saint-Mathieu in Quimper is a typical example of 17th-century civil architecture. It is distinguished by its wooden facade and its crepassing on lattis, characteristic of the urban buildings of this period in Brittany. This type of house, often narrow and in height, reflects the spatial constraints of medieval and modern city centres, while illustrating local craftsmanship in wood and coating work.

Classified as a Historical Monument by order of 22 May 1956, this house is an integral part of the built heritage of Quimper. The protection specifically concerns its street façade as well as the corresponding roof slope, stressing the importance of preserving these representative architectural elements. Its inscription is part of a wider desire to safeguard the old district of Quimper, marked by a dense urban fabric and constructions with both residential and sometimes artisanal vocations.

The location of this house, in a street in the historic centre, suggests its role in the daily life of the city in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. At that time, Quimper was a commercial and religious crossroads in Brittany, where wooden houses often housed families of merchants, artisans or small notables. These buildings, although apparently modest, bear witness to the cultural and economic exchanges that animated the region, between local influences and external inputs.

Today, this house contributes to the visual identity of the Quimperian heritage. Its state of conservation and location, although considered to be of poor precision (level 5/10 depending on the sources), make it a point of interest for the architectural discovery routes of the city. It also illustrates the challenges of preserving ancient facades in a changing urban context, between restoration and adaptation to contemporary uses.

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