Manoir de Fermont
Manor
Manoir de Fermont, located in Capelle-Fermont (Pas-de-Calais), is a Renaissance château built in the 16th century. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- Manor
- Period
- Renaissance (16th century)
- Location
- Capelle-Fermont, Pas-de-Calais, Hauts-de-France
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 50.3513, 2.6110
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00108251
Nestling in the bocage of the Artesian countryside, the Renaissance and classical volumes of Fermont Manor in brick and stone are a discreet but eloquent testimony to the seigniorial architecture of the Pas-de-Calais region in the 16th and 17th centuries.
History
In the heart of the village of Capelle-Fermont, in the Artois region where the horizons open up between cereal fields and hedged farmland, Fermont Manor stands out as one of those secret jewels that the Pas-de-Calais countryside has managed to preserve for centuries. Listed as a Historic Monument since 1980, the building combines the sobriety typical of seigniorial Artesian architecture with a discreet elegance inherited from the two centuries during which it was built. What makes Fermont unique is precisely this stratification of time, visible in the stone and brick: the first foundations, laid in the 16th century in a late medieval spirit tinged with Renaissance, coexist harmoniously with the 17th century additions, more classical in their layout. The architectural transition that the province of Artois underwent, as it passed from the Habsburgs to the French crown through conflicts and treaties, is clearly visible. Visitors wandering around the manor house will discover a coherent whole, where the main buildings, the farm outbuildings and what remains of the original fences paint a picture of aristocratic rural life in the north of France. The façades speak for themselves: meticulous workmanship, carefully treated corner quoins and moulded openings testify to the skills of local craftsmen. The natural setting adds to the enchantment. Capelle-Fermont, a quiet market town just a stone's throw from Arras, retains a deep rural character that showcases its ancient architecture better than any museography. Photographers, local history buffs and walkers in search of authenticity will find it a memorable stop-off, far from the beaten tourist track.
Architecture
The architecture of Fermont Manor is typical of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Artesian manor houses, in which the local brick, a warm red tending towards orange, is combined with white limestone for the decorative elements - window surrounds, quoins and bands separating the different levels. This dual colour scheme, typical of northern France and the former Spanish Netherlands, gives the façades a legibility and elegance that the builders of the time mastered with great skill. The general layout follows the tradition of a manor house with a main building flanked by outbuildings, organised to meet the dual residential and agricultural purpose of the complex. The openings, mullioned or cross-hipped in the oldest parts, bear witness to the transition between the still flamboyant Gothic vocabulary of the early 16th century and the more symmetrical layout imposed by the Renaissance and then by Classicism. The pedimented or cross-hipped dormers that pierce the slate roof give rhythm to the building's silhouette and emphasise its verticality. Inside, it is reasonable to assume that there is a large hall on the ground floor, monumental sculpted stone fireplaces - a virtually systematic feature of the region's stately homes - and a spiral or curved staircase, depending on the phase of construction. The sturdy foundations indicate a design that was built to last, rooted in a region where the rigours of the northern climate demanded thick walls and carefully constructed roofs.
Related Figures
Seigneur fondateur anonyme du XVIe siècle, commanditaire des premières constructions sous domination habsbourgeoiseMaître maçon artésien du XVIIe siècle, artisan des agrandissements classiquesFamille seigneuriale de Capelle-Fermont, propriétaires nobles des XVIe-XVIIIe sièclesAcquéreur révolutionnaire, probable acheteur de biens nationaux après 1789Inspecteur des Monuments Historiques ayant instruit le dossier d'inscription en 1980
Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Manoir de Fermont located?
Manoir de Fermont is located in Capelle-Fermont, Pas-de-Calais department, Hauts-de-France region, France.
When was Manoir de Fermont built?
Manoir de Fermont dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Manoir de Fermont open to visitors?
Manoir de Fermont is currently closed to visitors.