Splendid yachting residences, the "malouinières" symbolize the wealth and power of the ship owners and merchants of Saint-Malo. Mainly built between 1650 and 1730, they are an exceptional testimony to the architecture and life of the Breton nobles during the Sun King's era.
In the 17th century, through the wars led by Louis XIV, Saint-Malo became one of the most important seaports of the kingdom of France. Conflicts between nations and the riches of the Newfoundland territory enriched the Malouin privateers who founded the "Compagnie Malouine des Indes. »
To assert their success and escape the suffocating world of the city while remaining close to the port, this new merchant aristocracy began to build a haven of peace with superb residences with sober, symmetrical and elegant architecture. In barely a century, nearly 300 such residences were built within a 15-kilometre radius around the historic centre ofSaint-Malo.
All are built with granite from Chaussey, a Breton island off the coast of Granville. The high roofs, gabled chimneys and aligned openings give these buildings an austere appearance, largely offset by the impressive wealth of furniture and interiors where treasures and travel souvenirs accumulate filled with art and history.
At the end of the Seven Years' War, the Company's monopoly collapsed at the request of Louis XV. For lack of means, many malouinières were then left abandoned and eventually disappeared; only a hundred of them remain today. If they are still all private dwellings, some are open to visitors like the one in the Ville Bague a few kilometres from the old town.
Surrounded by a park of several hectares and its French garden, it offers a real interlude of calm and serenity in your stroll through the city. Thanks to a perfectly conducted guided tour, we discover with pleasure the daily life and the life of the privateers and sailors thanks to the discovery of the dovecote, the chapel and the fully furnished interiors.
To discover the history of Les Malouinières and the two sites open to visitors, It's happening here.
Berengère for Comme des Français
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