Hôtel d'Anglars
MonumentHidden Treasure
Hôtel d'Anglars, located in Sarlat-la-Canéda (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
- Sarlat-la-Canéda, Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 44.8909, 1.2144
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00082934
In the heart of the old town of Sarlat, the Hôtel d'Anglars features an elegant 18th-century wrought-iron balcony and sculpted mansards, a refined example of Périgord civil architecture during the Enlightenment.
History
Nestling in the labyrinth of gilded alleyways that make Sarlat-la-Canéda so famous, the Hôtel d'Anglars is one of those 18th-century bourgeois residences that give the historic centre of the capital of the Périgord Noir its exceptional heritage density. While the town's great medieval and Renaissance residences are usually the focus of attention, this private mansion is an elegant reminder that Sarlat continued to build and transform itself long after the great Gothic period, right up to the discreet splendour of the Age of Enlightenment. What immediately sets the Hôtel d'Anglars apart from the urban fabric of Sarlat is the quality of its architectural details: a wrought iron balcony, accessible from a French window on the first floor, unfurls its volutes with the lightness characteristic of 18th-century wrought ironwork. The mansard roofs, far from being mere utilitarian openings, feature sculpted ornamentation that betrays the aesthetic ambitions of a patron keen to show off his status. The rounded corner of the building, an architectural solution that is as practical as it is elegant for fitting into the constrained geography of old Sarlat, helps to give the façade a rare fluidity. This treatment softens the dialogue between the residence and the street, inviting the eye to move around the entire volume rather than coming up against a sharp edge. This is a sign of sophistication and a mastery of the art of building that is typical of the best provincial civil engineering works of the century. To visit the Hôtel d'Anglars is also to experience the living continuity of a town whose every stone tells the story of several centuries of history. From the cobbled street, the attentive stroller will catch a glimpse of the delicacy of the wrought iron, the finesse of the blond limestone sculptures and the curved angle that seems to gently follow the movement of the town. This is an essential stop-off for those who want to go beyond the medieval postcard and embrace Sarlat in all its rich layers of time.
Architecture
The Hôtel d'Anglars belongs to the 18th-century movement of classical provincial civil architecture, characterised by the search for a balance between sober volumes and refined ornamentation. Built from local limestone - the warm blonde stone that gives the whole of old Sarlat its luminous chromatic coherence - the building has a composed façade, the most remarkable feature of which is its rounded corner. This feature, common in eighteenth-century urban construction to allow views and ease traffic flow at narrow crossroads, gives the residence a particular elegance and a certain modernity in the way it inhabits the street. Upstairs, a French window opens onto a wrought-iron balcony, the workmanship of which bears witness to the skills of Périgord ironworkers during the Age of Enlightenment. The scrolls, foliage and interlacing that make up the grille combine structural solidity with visual lightness, in the style of Louis XV or Louis XVI wrought ironwork, depending on the precise period of construction. The mansard roofs, which light up the habitable attic space, are underlined by stone sculptures that liven up the crown of the facade and are a reminder that the client intended to take care of the entire building, right down to the top floor. The interior layout, typical of provincial mansions of the period, would have had reception rooms on the ground and first floors arranged around a vertical layout centred on a main staircase. The quality of the features preserved on the façade suggests that the interiors featured wood panelling, carved stone fireplaces and elaborate joinery, in keeping with the standards of comfort and decoration of the enlightened bourgeoisie of the 18th century Périgord region.
Related Figures
Famille d'Anglars — famille bourgeoise ou nobiliaire sarladaise ayant vraisemblablement commandé ou habité la demeure au XVIIIe siècleAndré Malraux — ministre des Affaires culturelles dont la politique de sauvegarde contribua à protéger l'ensemble du secteur historique de Sarlat, dont fait partie l'hôtel d'AnglarsArchitectes des Bâtiments de France — responsables de l'instruction du dossier d'inscription MH en 1948 et de la surveillance de la conservation du bâtiment
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Hôtel d'Anglars located?
Hôtel d'Anglars is located in Sarlat-la-Canéda, Dordogne department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, France.
When was Hôtel d'Anglars built?
Hôtel d'Anglars dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Hôtel d'Anglars open to visitors?
Hôtel d'Anglars is currently closed to visitors.