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Origin and history

The House of the Duchess Anne, located in Saint-Malo, is an emblematic monument of the 15th century, integrated into the early walls of the city. Also nicknamed Maison du Cheval Blanc, it would have, according to tradition, welcomed the Duchess Anne of Brittany during her visits to supervise the works of the castle. This hypothesis is based on its location: it occupies the site of the entrance of the old Château-Gaillard, demolished in 1573. If the house were part of this castle, the legend could be founded. Its architecture reveals medieval elements, such as a chamfered lintel window surmounted by an archvolt in braid, as well as an octagonal circular staircase turret with mâchicoulis.

The house was also associated with Catherine de Medici, who had reportedly stayed there in 1570. Ravaged by a fire in 1944, it retains traces of its original structure, with a lower part potentially older than the upper part. Classified as a Historical Monument by decree of 17 April 1931, it embodies both an architectural heritage and a historical narrative combining reality and oral tradition.

Its exact address, 2 courtyard La-Houssaye, and its Insee code (35288) place it in the department of Ille-et-Vilaine, in Brittany. The accuracy of its location is considered satisfactory a priori, although visual sources such as Street View allow this data to be refined. The protected elements include the house itself, under the cadastral reference AC 21, without clear indication of its current accessibility to the public.

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