Hôtel du 17e siècle
MonumentHidden Treasure
Hôtel du 17e siècle, located in La Réole (Gironde), 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
- La Réole, Gironde, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 44.5839, -0.0392
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00083698
At the heart of La Réole, this 17th-century townhouse reveals a sumptuous façade crowned with Louis XIV balusters and adorned with Louis XV woodwork, a refined testament to the bourgeois art of living in Gironde.
History
Tucked away in the narrow streets of La Réole, a small medieval town perched high above the Garonne, this town house is one of the most eloquent examples of Bordeaux civil architecture from the Grand Siècle. Its façade, which reflects successive centuries like so many layers of the same identity, reveals the ambition and taste of its successive patrons, probably members of the merchant bourgeoisie or the local magistracy. What really sets the building apart is the harmonious superimposition of different architectural styles, far from being incoherent. The Louis XIV-style terrace with stone balusters lends the building a distinct nobility, while the bossed dormers and pediments are reminiscent of the grand residences of the reign of Louis XIV. The openings on the first floor, redesigned in the 18th century with their semi-circular arches and central clasps, add a light, Rococo touch to the composition. The visit begins in the porch, where Louis XV panelling of rare quality welcomes visitors beneath an openwork wrought iron fanlight. The top of the door, sculpted into a niche and surmounted by a vase and a sun - a solar symbol evocative of the reign of Louis XIV - marks a real iconographic programme, discreet but eloquent. The interior extends this refinement with Louis XV panelling that envelops the rooms in a golden warmth characteristic of the Aquitaine art of living during the Age of Enlightenment. La Réole, a former royal town with a Benedictine abbey and medieval ramparts, provides this hotel with an exceptional heritage setting. A stroll through a town where time seems to stand still, a visit to this monument is a natural way to discover the little-known Entre-Deux-Mers region, just a few miles from Bordeaux, between vineyards and limestone cliffs.
Architecture
The La Réole town house is a brilliant illustration of the evolution of French architectural taste between the reign of Louis XIV and the Restoration period. The main building, with its compact rectangular floor plan typical of south-western middle-class residences, is topped by a terrace with carved stone balusters - a typical feature of the Louis XIV classical repertoire - which replaces the pavilion roofs of previous decades, creating a distinctive silhouette in the urban landscape of La Réole. The main facade has a highly coherent ornamental vocabulary, despite its temporal layers. Bossed stone chains vertically punctuate the ground floor bays and frame the entrance porch, whose Louis XV panelling - remarkably finely crafted - sits alongside a wrought iron fanlight with foliage motifs. The most distinctive iconographic element of the ensemble is the doorway, carved into a niche and crowned with a vase and a radiant sun. The openings on the first floor, which were remodelled in the 18th century, feature low arches with central clasps, framed by balconies with delicately wrought iron railings. The roof dormers, with alternating bosses and triangular or arched pediments, continue the dialogue with the classical architecture of the Grand Siècle. The interior features beautifully intact Louis XV panelling, with coffered panels adorned with shell mouldings and foliage scrolls, enveloping the noble rooms in an intimate, luminous atmosphere typical of the art of living in 18th century Gironde. The combination of materials - golden-cut limestone typical of the Bazadais region, sculpted wood and wrought iron - gives the building a material unity that resonates perfectly with the architectural terroir of the Entre-Deux-Mers region.
Related Figures
Louis XIV — dont le règne inspire l'esthétique solaire et les balustrades de la terrasse primitivePropriétaire bâtisseur du XVIIe siècle — commanditaire bourgeois non identifié, probable négociant ou officier royal réolaisPropriétaire rénovateur du XVIIIe siècle — responsable du remaniement des fenêtres et des boiseries intérieures Louis XVArtisans menuisiers et ferronniers bordelais du XVIIIe siècle — auteurs des boiseries et ferronneries d'imposteSculpteur anonyme du XVIIe siècle — auteur du dessus de porte à niche, vase et soleil rayonnant
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Hôtel du 17e siècle located?
Hôtel du 17e siècle is located in La Réole, Gironde department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, France.
When was Hôtel du 17e siècle built?
Hôtel du 17e siècle dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Hôtel du 17e siècle open to visitors?
Hôtel du 17e siècle is currently closed to visitors.