Fountain House

The Maison de la Fontaine

A heritage stop on the Brest audio-guided tour, the Maison de la Fontaine is one of the oldest houses in the city. In the heart of the Recouvrance district, it is built of yellow Logonna stone, black kersantite and pink granite.

A survivor of the bombings

The house is said to have been built in the eighteenth century, but city plans from the seventeenth century show that a building already stood here a century earlier. It is hard to know whether it is the same building. It remains one of the last remnants of that period, having survived the bombs of the Second World War. Its name comes from its fountain, built in the eighteenth century.

What to see

The house first belonged to the hospital of Recouvrance before becoming today a place of exhibition and artistic residence. Observe its fine combination of local stones and imagine the Brest of before the wartime destruction.

Practical information

The Maison de la Fontaine is on rue de l'Eglise, in the Recouvrance district of Brest. Entry is generally free; opening days and times, as well as guided tours, should be checked depending on the season.

When does the Maison de la Fontaine date from ?

It probably dates back to the eighteenth century, or even the seventeenth century according to old city plans.

What does the house hold today ?

A place of exhibition and artistic residence, after belonging to the hospital of Recouvrance.