Grange de la Perdrière
MonumentHidden Treasure
Grange de la Perdrière, located in Mesland (Loir-et-Cher), 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
- Mesland, Loir-et-Cher, Centre-Val de Loire
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.5020, 1.0992
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00098489
Unique in the Loir-et-Cher region, this barn belonging to Château de Monteaux conceals a Philibert de l'Orme-style roof structure of rare sophistication, heir to a building tradition with Flemish accents.
© Wikimedia Commons
History
In the heart of the Mesland vineyards, on the hills overlooking the Loire, the Grange de la Perdrière is a welcome anomaly in the Loir-et-Cher heritage landscape. An agricultural outbuilding of the Château de Monteaux, it is unlike any other barn in the department: its sober, almost austere appearance from the outside conceals a feat of carpentry that alone justified its listing as a Historic Monument in 1989. What radically sets La Perdrière apart from its contemporaries is the nature of its framework, built according to the principles of the so-called "Delorme style" - named after the architect Philibert de l'Orme, a genius of the French Renaissance who developed a revolutionary technique of laminated wood carpentry in the 16th century. This method, which consists of assembling curved planks to form load-bearing arches without using large single pieces of wood, gave buildings remarkable structural strength and lightness. To see such a framework applied to a farm barn at the end of the 18th century is almost an architectural paradox. Local tradition adds another layer of mystery to the affair: this type of construction is said to be of Flemish inspiration, perhaps brought by craftsmen from the north, or by an owner with enlightened taste and extensive networks. This hypothesis, which is difficult to verify formally, gives the building an almost cosmopolitan dimension, unusual for a farm building in deep Touraine. Despite its heritage status, the barn has remained true to its original purpose: it continues to be used for farming, giving it a rare authenticity. There's no artificial museology here, no tourist staging - just living, functional architecture that perpetuates a centuries-old use under an exceptional roof structure. For lovers of rural heritage or antique carpentry, this very discretion is an invitation to take a closer look.
Architecture
The Grange de la Perdrière is an agricultural building whose uniqueness lies almost entirely in its interior framework. The building is massive and elongated, typical of the large tithe barns and farm buildings on the noble estates of Touraine at the end of the Ancien Régime. The sober, functional exterior is in keeping with the local building tradition, with no attempt at decorative ostentation - which makes the surprise inside all the more striking. The centrepiece of the building is its Delorme-style framework, named after the architect Philibert de l'Orme (circa 1514-1570), who theorised the principles of this technique in his treatise "Nouvelles Inventions pour bien bastir" (1561). This technique involves forming load-bearing arches by assembling short planks of wood of small cross-section, pegged together and superimposed to create continuous curves. It makes it possible to span large spans without having to use one-piece master beams, which are difficult to find and expensive. The result is a timber-framed vault of astonishing visual lightness, whose repeated arches create an almost cathedral-like interior rhythm, contrasting with the rusticity of the agricultural programme. This exceptional structure, dated to the end of the 18th century according to technical analyses, represents a late but faithful application of the principles of l'Orme, at a time when the technique was enjoying a revival of interest among scholars and engineers. The Flemish influence evoked by local tradition could be reflected in certain variations in the assembly or proportions of the trusses, distinguishing this work from strictly French examples of the same technique.
Related Figures
Philibert de l'Orme — architecte de la Renaissance française (v. 1514-1570), théoricien de la technique de charpente qui porte son nom et dont la Grange de la Perdrière constitue un témoignage tardifPropriétaires du château de Monteaux (fin XVIIIe s.) — commanditaires vraisemblables de la construction, dont l'identité précise reste à établir par les archivesMaître charpentier inconnu — artisan ou architecte érudit qui mit en œuvre la charpente de style Delorme, probablement formé aux traditions savantes du nord de la France ou des Flandres
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Grange de la Perdrière located?
Grange de la Perdrière is located in Mesland, Loir-et-Cher department, Centre-Val de Loire region, France.
When was Grange de la Perdrière built?
Grange de la Perdrière dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Grange de la Perdrière open to visitors?
Grange de la Perdrière is currently closed to visitors.