The Hôtel André Désilles was a town-house built in the first quarter of the 17th century for a rich inhabitant of Saint-Malo: Jean Gravé, Sieur de Launay, the Public Finance General Treasurer, and then the Chairman of the Brittany Audit Office.
The building was considered to be one of the most remarkable ones built in Saint-Malo, where the lack of space made it necessary to use height to achieve what could not be achieved in terms of surface area.
The town-house bears its name in memory of André Désilles (Saint-Malo 1767 - Nancy 1790), who was born there. He became famous by intervening to stop a fratricidal fight during a revolutionary riot in the town of Nancy.
His uncle, Father Pierre Joseph Picot de Clorivière (Saint-Malo 1735 - Paris 1820) was also born in this town-house. He was appointed to re-establish the Jesuit Order in France.
This town-house which, like the rest of the historic town, was damaged during the battles for the liberation of the town in August 1944 during World War II, has since been listed by the Historic Monuments Commission. Its façades were rebuilt exactly the way they were originally.
