Heritage TourPlace du PuitsRochefort-en-Terre

The famous Place du Puits

Formerly known as Place de la Vieille Halle, Place du Puits is surrounded by some of Rochefort-en-Terre’s oldest and most remarkable houses. These are probably the homes of the officers of the Rieux-Rochefort entourage. Dating for the most part from the 15th to 17th centuries, these houses are built on one level of cellars, with large window wells opening onto the façade. These arrangements reveal the commercial activity of the owners, which in Brittany was not incompatible with the noble rank occupied by the officers of a seigneury.

Getting there

Terrace Place Du Puits Rochefort En Terre

Let yourself be charmed by its

Remarkable houses

Place du Puits, Rochefort-en-Terre’s emblematic square, is characterized by its architectural variety. There are houses with corbelled upper storeys that have retained their original wood panelling or have been rebuilt in masonry, houses combining schist and granite, some rendered in lime and others, richer, in dressed stone. Despite the variety of styles, the buildings offer a certain harmony. The square was home to the covered market as well as the courthouse. In the center of the square, the well provided the town with water. Rochefort-en-Terre has one listed house and six houses listed on the supplementary inventory of historic monuments. They are all located within a few dozen meters of each other. Dating from the 16th and 17th centuries, their granite and schist facades and gable roofs with coyotes have earned them these classifications.

The House of Justice

The Seneschal's House

The lords of Rochefort had the right of high, medium and low justice, and could therefore pronounce any punishment. The court was made up of a seneschal, an alloué, a fiscal procurator and a clerk, not to mention lawyers. Jurisdiction extended to the parishes of Pluherlin, Pleucadeuc, Molac, Questembert, Berric, Lauzach, Malansac and Limerzel. This 17th-century house is located at the corner of Place du puits and Venelle du Mitan. The semicircular arches of its two doors each feature a sculpted balance, emblematic of the place’s function.

The house with the turret

Undoubtedly one of the most photographed houses in the commune, it is the only one to have been classified as a Historic Monument since 1926. The originality of this 15th-century house lies in its combination of Renaissance (shells) and Gothic (semicircular pediment adorned and its elegant overhanging corner turret, set on a cul-de-lampe. The prestige of its owners, no doubt seigniorial administrators or wealthy merchants, is evident in the use of granite on the façade and the richness of the decoration. The size of the house and the low-arched doors make it look like two adjoining houses, but it was originally a single unit. One is now a guest house, the other a crêperie “Le Café Breton”. The latter is said to be the oldest crêperie in Brittany still in operation. It features frescoes depicting village life by Alfred Klots, the American painter best known for having bought and rebuilt the château.

Hostellerie du Lion d'Or

and its neighbor

These two semi-detached houses, dating from the 17th century, have been on the Supplementary Inventory of Historic Monuments since 1937. They may have been outbuildings of the château or lodgings for the canons of the collegiate church. The facades feature a mix of schist and granite courses, creating a sought-after polychrome effect. The doors, with lintels decorated with plant motifs, are surmounted by an oculus and a horizontal molding designed to ensure the visual continuity of successive constructions. It is said to have been used as a post office, and from 1650 until the late 1980s, it was theHostellerie Le Lion d’Or, a renowned restaurant.

House

double staircase

This 16th-century house is distinguished from neighboring residences by its double spiral staircase and wooden storefront. It has been listed on the Supplementary Inventory of Historic Monuments since 1937. It also features a slightly protruding first floor, resting on corbels, suggesting that the second floor was built at a later date. This house must also have been a canons’ house. Formerly the Houal pharmacy, it is now a private home.

House built in 1566

This house in rue du Porche (to the right of Maison à la Tourrelle), near Place du Puits, is characterized by its symmetrical facade.of its façade, structured by the vertical bay, consisting of the basket-handle door and its upper-storey windows and attic dormers. This building once housed a butcher’s shop, Lerno then Guëllo. The house is also listed on the Supplementary Inventory of Historic Monuments.

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