Manoir d'Igonie
ManorHidden Treasure
Manoir d'Igonie, located in Saint-Sulpice-d'Excideuil (Dordogne), 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
- Saint-Sulpice-d'Excideuil, Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 45.3842, 1.0074
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00082904
Manoir d'Igonie, a stone sentinel of the Périgord Vert: polygonal stair tower, finely sculpted doorway with bracketed arch and circular dovecote make up a medieval and Renaissance ensemble of rare coherence.
History
Nestling in the gentle countryside of Saint-Sulpice-d'Excideuil, on the edge of the Périgord Vert, the Manoir d'Igonie is one of those picturesque buildings that the Dordogne seems to have preserved out of time. A fortified house with the appearance of a manor house, it combines the defensive rigour of the late Middle Ages with the ornamental elegance that heralded the Renaissance: a rare and precious combination, which amply justifies the double protection the building enjoys as a Historic Monument. What immediately sets the Manoir d'Igonie apart from many other manor houses in Périgord is the exceptional quality of its sculpted decoration. The doorway to the polygonal stairway tower, surmounted by an arch in the form of a brace, is in itself a veritable lesson in medieval symbolism: a figure with only his head and arms protruding from the frame, a coat of arms that was unfortunately hammered away during the French Revolution, and, rising from the top of the brace, a pedestal formed of three cordelier heads - a probable allusion to the Franciscan order - supporting a crouching figure whose head has unfortunately disappeared. Every detail is open to interpretation, fuelling the fascination of art historians. The attentive visitor will also notice the two small projecting watchtowers that flank the west facade, a vestige of the original defensive system, and the mullioned windows on the north side, whose Renaissance tracery contrasts with the sobriety of the rest of the elevation. A few steps from the main building, a circular ashlar dovecote completes the picture: a tangible sign of the seigneurial status of its former owners, as only the nobility had the right to maintain such buildings under the Ancien Régime. The whole complex is only part of what it once was, and this is perhaps what gives it its melancholy charm. The missing buildings hint at a larger estate, a bustling courtyard, farm outbuildings and gardens that have now disappeared. This sense of sublime fragment, of architectural palimpsest, makes the Manoir d'Igonie a place of singular poetry, conducive to reverie as much as to study. For lovers of rural heritage, late Gothic architecture and flamboyant sculpture, this is a must-see. The verdant setting of the Périgord Vert, its gentle, wooded horizons and the tranquillity of Saint-Sulpice-d'Excideuil add a bucolic dimension to the visit that monuments with too much media coverage can no longer offer.
Architecture
The Manoir d'Igonie takes the form of a rectangular main building with two storeys and a ground floor, a compact, rational layout typical of Périgord fortified houses from the late Middle Ages. Local limestone, golden and dense, is the main material used for the walls, giving the building the warm hue common to Périgord buildings. The roof, probably made of flat tiles or "lauzes" according to regional tradition, caps the whole soberly. The most spectacular feature is the polygonal stairway tower, one third of the way up the south facade: a typical architectural feature of 15th-century manor houses, it provides vertical access without encroaching on the living space of the upper floors. Its doorway features a semi-circular arch - the quintessential flamboyant Gothic motif - and is surmounted by a remarkably fine sculpted motif: a mid-body figure wearing a hammered coat of arms, while at the top of the semi-circular arch, a pedestal formed of three corded heads supports a crouching figure that is now headless. The west facade features two projecting watchtowers at the corners, reminiscent of a defensive device that recalls the building's military origins. The north side reveals a different timeline: its Renaissance-style mullioned openings bear witness to a sixteenth-century update that sought light and comfort rather than defence. A few metres away, the circular ashlar dovecote, modest in size but well preserved, completes a coherent and legible architectural ensemble.
Related Figures
Seigneurs d'Ugonie (XVe siècle) — premiers bâtisseurs du manoir, identité précise perdue suite au martelage révolutionnaire de l'écussonPropriétaires Renaissance (XVIe siècle) — commanditaires du programme sculpté de la tour et des fenêtres à meneaux, probablement liés à l'ordre franciscainComtes d'Excideuil — suzerains de la châtellenie dont dépendait historiquement le domaine d'IgonieRévolutionnaires locaux (1789-1795) — responsables du martelage de l'écusson armorial, effaçant l'identité héraldique des propriétaires
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Manoir d'Igonie located?
Manoir d'Igonie is located in Saint-Sulpice-d'Excideuil, Dordogne department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, France.
When was Manoir d'Igonie built?
Manoir d'Igonie dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Manoir d'Igonie open to visitors?
Manoir d'Igonie is currently closed to visitors.
