Hôtel Gouin, dit aussi hôtel Barguin
MonumentHidden Treasure
Joyau Renaissance de Tours, l'hôtel Gouin séduit par sa façade sculptée d'une extraordinaire richesse, mêlant feuillages, pilastres et médaillons dans un foisonnement ornemental unique en Touraine.
© Wikimedia Commons
History
In the heart of Tours, a stone's throw from the banks of the Loire, the Hôtel Gouin stands out as one of the finest examples of French Renaissance civil architecture in Touraine. Behind a facade of astonishingly dense decoration, this private mansion tells the story of five centuries of urban, commercial and artistic history, from its medieval origins to its 20th-century consecration as a heritage site. What makes the Hôtel Gouin truly unique is the creative tension between its sober, massive 15th-century main building and its front facade, remodelled in the early 17th century and bursting with vibrant ornamentation. Fluted pilasters, friezes of foliage, medallions in the antique style, shells and interlacing plants cover the tufa stone with a sculpted carpet unrivalled in the region. The central porch and its loggia, added around 1610, give the whole a very Italian theatricality, testifying to the persistent influence of the Italian Renaissance on Touraine's workshops. A visit to the Hôtel Gouin is a plunge into the life of the merchant and financial bourgeoisie of the former royal capital of France. The interiors, although altered over the centuries, retain period architectural features such as staircases, fireplaces and vaulted ceilings, recreating the cosy atmosphere of the residences where the kingdom's major business deals were conducted. The building now houses archaeological and historical collections relating to the heritage of Tours. Located in the Rue du Commerce, a historic thoroughfare in the old town, the Hôtel Gouin enjoys an unspoilt urban setting, close to Saint-Gatien Cathedral and the Psalette district. The street façade alone is an unforgettable sight, particularly in the late afternoon when the low-angled light enhances the relief of the white tufa sculpture.
Architecture
The Hôtel Gouin is typical of the large town houses of the Loire region, with a main building built over a cellar, flanked by wings and preceded by a courtyard. The original 15th-century structure, built of tuffeau - white limestone quarried from the cliffs of the Loire, the preferred material of Touraine's builders - follows an L-shaped plan whose Gothic sobriety contrasts with the exuberance of the Renaissance decoration that was added two centuries later. The front facade, remodelled around 1610, is the architectural highlight of the complex. It comprises a central forebuilding with a semi-circular porch topped by a columned loggia, framed by bays adorned with pilasters with composite capitals. The entire surface is covered with an incredibly rich sculpted decoration: friezes of acanthus leaf foliage, medallions with antique-style portraits, shells, cartouches, tracery and plant garlands form an ornamental register that is both skilful and abundant, characteristic of late Mannerism as practised in the workshops of the Loire region. This decorative luxuriance, which has no equivalent in Tours, is reminiscent of the facades of the grand Parisian hotels of the same period, while at the same time asserting a Touraine identity marked by the quality of the local stonemasons. The interior elevations, although partially reconstructed during successive restorations, still bear witness to the different construction campaigns: spiral staircase, monumental fireplaces with sculpted mantels, groined vaults in the lower sections. The mullioned windows in the oldest sections and the cross-headed windows and pediments in the 17th-century additions illustrate the building's chronological stratification.
Related Figures
Jean de Xaincoings — trésorier des finances de Charles VII, longtemps cité à tort comme commanditaire de l'hôtelRené Gardette — marchand tourangeau, propriétaire au milieu du XVIe siècleFamille Gouin — grande famille de notables tourangeaux, propriétaires à partir de 1738 et donateurs du nom définitif à l'édificeCharles VII — roi de France, dont la cour à Tours contribua à l'essor architectural de la ville au XVe siècleFrançois Ier — monarque sous le règne duquel les influences italiennes transformèrent l'art de bâtir en Touraine
