Maison dite de la Duchesse Anne

The Maison dite de la duchesse Anne, in Morlaix, Brittany, is a particularly well-preserved example of a lantern house, an architectural principle emblematic of the town during the Renaissance.

Here, visitors will discover the lantern – a covered inner courtyard – housing a monumental fireplace and a richly carved oak spiral staircase, which provides a passageway between the front and back rooms, thus spanning three floors.

On 28 May 1883, Jules Ferry, Minister of Public Education and Fine Arts, signed the decree classifying the Duchess Anne House as a “historic monument”. It was the first Morlaix monument to benefit from this protection measure, and the only one of its kind in the whole of the 19th century.

The home of a noble family, built around 1530, Duchess Anne’s House escaped destruction at the last minute as part of a major urban development project. It owes its survival to the interest aroused by its covered courtyard – its lantern – which houses its remarkable sculpted staircase.
This one-of-a-kind staircase, the object of admiration, elicited this eulogistic comment from Prosper Mérimée, then Inspector General of Historic Monuments, who discovered it during his visit to the town in 1835:
“In a house in the rue des Nobles (now rue du Mur), there is a magnificent 15th-century Gothic wooden staircase, perfectly preserved, though in daily use. The ornamentation on each floor is incredibly delicate. I have never seen anything more perfect or in better taste.
In the eyes of the town planners, this reputation did not save the building from demolition. At most, they imagined dismantling the staircase to at least ensure its preservation. It was to Henri de Lestang du Rusquec’s credit that he understood the importance of keeping the staircase as it was, in situ, in the setting provided by the house.
Henri de Lestang du Rusquec (1822-1906), mayor of Sibiril and owner of the Château de Kerouzéré, which was listed on the same day as the Maison dite de la duchesse Anne, acquired the property in October 1882 and had it listed eight months later.

The irony of this “crime of advancing some fifty centimetres on the imposed alignment” was underlined by the illustrator and novelist Albert Robida, who was delighted to see that “this fine specimen of the rich houses of Morlaix in days gone by” had finally been preserved and restored.
To the delight of lovers of heritage, art and history, the Maison dite de la duchesse Anne is still committing this crime. And it should continue to do so for many years to come, thanks to the restoration work planned, which will open up larger areas to visitors while ensuring its long-term survival.

The Maison is open until the start of the Easter holidays (4/04), on Thursdays/Fridays and Saturdays from 2pm to 5pm. Then from 6/04 to early June, open Monday to Saturday from 2pm to 6pm.