Ancienne grange aux dîmes, dite Maison du Chapître
MonumentHidden Treasure
Ancienne grange aux dîmes, dite Maison du Chapître, located in Monpazier (Dordogne), is a Renaissance château built in the 16th century. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Renaissance (16th century)
- Location
- Monpazier, Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 44.6810, 0.8944
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00082654
Medieval remnant of the Périgord noir, this thirteenth-century tithe barn stands at the heart of Monpazier with its large superimposed halls and its rare rounded twin-light windows, a remarkable testament to the civil architecture of the bastide towns.
History
In the heart of Monpazier, one of the best-preserved fortified towns in Périgord, the Maison du Chapitre stands out as one of the most unusual medieval civil buildings in the Périgord Noir. Built at the end of the 13th century, following the founding of the bastide by Edward I of England in 1284, this former tithe barn has survived seven centuries without losing much of its original character. Its austere, massive presence, characteristic of the utilitarian buildings of the feudal era, contrasts with the covered houses that surround it. What makes the Maison du Chapitre truly unique is its superposition of three large rooms for collective use, a rare feature in the civil architecture of the Périgord Middle Ages. Each level offers a generous volume, designed to accommodate the harvests, the goods collected in kind by the canons, or the community meetings. At the top, two arched geminated bays punctuate the façade with their elegant presence, the only ornament in an otherwise sober elevation, and precious evidence of the late Romanesque vocabulary still in use at the end of the 13th century. Attentive visitors will notice the cohabitation of periods on the walls of the building: medieval openings are followed by windows reworked in the 16th century, reflecting an adaptation to Renaissance customs and tastes. This architectural stratification makes the Maison du Chapitre a veritable stone book, readable in successive layers. The visit is a natural part of the experience of Monpazier as a whole, listed as one of the Most Beautiful Villages in France. The Place des Cornières, the covered market and the chequered streets form an almost intact medieval setting around the Maison du Chapitre. Photographers and history buffs will find this building a first-rate subject, far from the crowds that concentrate on the surrounding castles.
Architecture
The Maison du Chapitre is a massive rectangular building constructed of ashlar limestone quarried locally in the Périgord region, typical of medieval construction in this region. Its sober, austere silhouette, devoid of superfluous ornamentation, reflects its primary utilitarian purpose: a building for storing and managing the agricultural resources collected by the Chapter. The building has three superimposed levels, each organised around a large functional room. This high layout, designed to maximise storage capacity on a limited footprint - a typical constraint in the tight-knit fabric of medieval bastides - is one of the building's most remarkable features. The upper level is illuminated by two arched geminated bays, whose columns and arches bear witness to a late Romanesque architectural vocabulary still in use at the end of the 13th century. These bays, elegant in their simplicity, contrast with the rigour of the rest of the elevation and signal the symbolic importance accorded to the highest floor. The windows on the lower levels were altered in the 16th century, probably to improve the lighting of the rooms and adapt the building to Renaissance practices. These openings feature moulded frames with a more complex profile, characteristic of the early modern period, creating a dialogue between the two major periods in the building's history. The long-sloped roof, covered in canal tiles, is in keeping with the building tradition of southern Périgord.
Related Figures
Édouard Ier d'Angleterre — roi commanditaire de la fondation de Monpazier en 1284-1285Jean de Grailly — sénéchal de Gascogne, maître d'œuvre administratif de la bastide au nom du roi d'AngleterreBuffarot — chef de la révolte des Croquants, capturé et exécuté à Monpazier en 1637, figure emblématique des troubles du XVIIe siècleLes chanoines du Chapitre de Monpazier — détenteurs de l'édifice et gestionnaires de la dîme au Moyen ÂgePhilip de Lavergne — représentant local des intérêts anglais à Monpazier au XIVe siècle, impliqué dans la défense de la bastide
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Ancienne grange aux dîmes, dite Maison du Chapître located?
Ancienne grange aux dîmes, dite Maison du Chapître is located in Monpazier, Dordogne department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, France.
When was Ancienne grange aux dîmes, dite Maison du Chapître built?
Ancienne grange aux dîmes, dite Maison du Chapître dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Ancienne grange aux dîmes, dite Maison du Chapître open to visitors?
Ancienne grange aux dîmes, dite Maison du Chapître is currently closed to visitors.