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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Renaissance House known as Grand-Veneur, located at 68-70 Grande Rue and 14 rue des Orfèvres in Laval (Mayenne), is an emblematic 16th century building. Built in 1554 for Jacques Marest, Sieur de la Hardelière, it embodies the Renaissance style of the second epoch, with its Corinthian columns, palmettes and round-bosse sculptures. Its name comes from the terracotta roof tiles, once interpreted as a hunting scene, although some were transferred to the municipal museum of Laval in 1899.

The house is distinguished by its asymmetric façade, divided into two parts after 1699 following a death. Only the right side, classified as a historical monument in 1883, retained its original decoration, including busts, putti and roses. The left part, modified, lost much of its carved elements. Its architecture, marked by double arcade openings and richly decorated entanglements, inspired subsequent neo-renaissance constructions in the city, such as the 19th century hotel located on Rue de Nantes.

Ranked among the first historical monuments of France, this house illustrates the influence of the lords of Laval and the architectural fascist of the Renaissance. Details such as the embossed heads and rinsels bear witness to exceptional craftsmanship. Although some roof tiles have disappeared, the remaining ones, representing hunters and animals, recall its supposed link with the hunting crews of the local castle. Today, it remains a valuable testimony to the urban heritage of Vallois.

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