Timeline

Origin and history

The house at 5 rue Vasselot in Rennes is a remarkable example of medieval Breton civil architecture. Built in the 15th century, it combines a granite ground floor equipped with cut stone and wood-paned floors with torchi, partially covered with a coating. The street façade, structured in two spans, has a fern leaf decor, characteristic of the half-timbered houses of this period. A corbellation supported by seven consoles marks each level, while two arcades pierce the ground floor, one of which gives access to a back yard.

The building has two square floors lit by geminous windows, topped by two levels, arranged in a typical Rennes attic, centered on the façade. The side façades are slate-like, and the projected construction on the public road reflects medieval urban constraints. The protection under the Historical Monuments, which took place by decree of 1 October 1963, specifically concerns the facade on street and roofs, highlighting the heritage value of this testimony of the Breton urban habitat of the 15th century.

The torches, partially masked by a coating, and the arrangement of wood panels in plant motifs (fountain leaf) illustrate medieval constructive techniques still visible despite subsequent transformations. Mixed use of the building, combining a shop on the ground floor and a dwelling on the floors, was common in the merchant towns of the time. The approximate location (12 rue Vasselot according to GPS coordinates) suggests a possible confusion of address, although the Mérimée base clearly refers to 5 rue Vasselot.

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