House of the Grand Veneur

The Maison du Grand-Veneur, in Laval

The Maison du Grand-Veneur is one of the finest Renaissance residences of Laval, built in 1553 by a rich cloth merchant. The Laval audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this jewel with a richly sculpted façade, witness of the prosperity of the town and its flourishing trade.

The Renaissance jewel of the cloth merchant

There are not only reflections of the medieval era in Laval! You are in front of one of the finest Renaissance residences of the town. The Maison du Grand-Veneur was built in 1553 by a rich cloth merchant, testifying to the prosperity that Laval then knew thanks to its famous trade of linen cloth, exported throughout France and beyond. This activity made the fortune of a merchant bourgeoisie that had fine residences built to display its success, in the refined taste of the Renaissance. The house charms by its richly sculpted façade, adorned with finely worked decors. Its name of Grand-Veneur (Master of the Hunt) would come from the hunting scenes represented in its sculptures, the grand veneur being the officer in charge of the hunt with hounds, in an iconography that celebrated this noble entertainment prized by the elites. The façade thus deploys an abundance of motifs, figures and details characteristic of the art of this era, where the architecture became a true manifesto of prestige. This jewel of the heritage illustrates the golden age of Laval and the refinement of its rich merchants. A Renaissance residence and a witness of the prosperity of the town, the Maison du Grand-Veneur is a fine stop of the discovery of Laval.

What to see

You admire one of the finest Renaissance residences of Laval, built in 1553 by a rich cloth merchant, witness of the prosperity of the town thanks to its trade of linen cloth; its richly sculpted façade, adorned with hunting scenes that earned it its name of Grand-Veneur, deploys an abundance of motifs and figures characteristic of the art of this era. The Maison du Grand-Veneur is a Renaissance jewel of Laval. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Maison du Grand-Veneur lies in the historic centre of Laval, reachable on foot. You admire its sculpted façade from the street. You discover it during a walk in old Laval, raising the eyes towards its Renaissance decors.

Why does the Maison du Grand-Veneur bear this name in Laval?

Its name would come from the hunting scenes represented in the sculptures of its façade, the grand veneur being the officer in charge of the hunt with hounds; built in 1553 by a rich cloth merchant, this residence is one of the finest of the Laval Renaissance, witness of the prosperity of the town thanks to its trade of linen cloth.

Where is the Maison du Grand-Veneur in Laval?

In the historic centre of Laval, in France.