Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The house in La Guerche-de-Bretagne, dating from the 16th century, is a typical example of Breton civil architecture of this period. It is distinguished by its two-span porch, supported by four poles, two of which are very close (57 cm apart). This porch, with a depth of 2.50 meters, is partly based on elements integrated into the ground floor masonry. The posts, with an enlarged head, support a low sandstone recessing the soles, while a high sandstone overlooks the whole. The facade, covered with a coating imitating a half-timber, masks a structure made of quartz microdiorite and wood.

The upper part of the porch forms a gable decorated with an overflowing decorated farm, with a wooden volute to the west and an oculus piercing the west wall. The ground floor has chamfered bays on the north facade, while the floor, in wooden strips, includes a gable angle span. The building, more complex than its neighbors, houses two chimneys: one on a split wall facing the entrance, the other on the east wall. A covered slate lantern, rising up the northwest corner and illuminated by an oculus, suggests the original location of the stairway.

Classified as a Historic Monument since 1948 for its facades and roofs, this house illustrates the constructive techniques of the sixteenth century in Brittany. Its atypical plan, combining porch, chimneys and lantern, reflects a sophisticated spatial organization for the time. The materials used, such as quartz microdiorite, and the architectural details (volute, oculus, sandstones) bear witness to remarkable artisanal know-how, characteristic of bourgeois or artisanal homes in the region.

The inscription under the title of Historical Monuments in 1948 preserved unique structural and decorative elements, such as the porch with asymmetric dimensions (2.90 m between the left poles and 4.68 m on the right) and the farm decorated with the gable. These characteristics, coupled with the presence of two homes, suggest an easy residential function, possibly linked to a commercial or artisanal activity. The absence of written sources about its occupants, however, limits the knowledge of its social history.

The location of the house at 2 or 4 rue d'Anjou, in a town of Ille-et-Vilaine marked by medieval and Renaissance heritage, reinforces its historical interest. The map accuracy, considered "passable" (note 5/10), indicates an approximate location, without affecting the heritage value of the building. Creative Commons (GO69) and the thematic inventory (2019) and preliminary inventory (2004) are the main documentary sources available.

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