Immeuble
Monument
Immeuble, located in Arras (Pas-de-Calais), 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
- Arras, Pas-de-Calais, Hauts-de-France
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 50.2910, 2.7791
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00108142
In the heart of Arras, this 18th-century building embodies the sober elegance of Flemish classicism, with its limestone facades and arcaded galleries typical of the Grand'Places of Arras.
History
Arras, the capital of Pas-de-Calais, is a town whose urban fabric is in itself an architectural masterpiece. Among its many protected buildings, this 18th-century building, listed as a Historic Monument since 1920, stands out as a precious testimony to the art of building that characterised the great merchant towns of northern France under the Ancien Régime. Integrated into the coherent and remarkable urban landscape of Arras, it contributes to the architectural harmony that makes the town so unique. What makes this building truly unique is that it is part of a stylistically coherent urban ensemble that is rare in France. Arras boasts one of the most remarkable collections of 18th-century Flemish and classical civil architecture in Europe, and each listed building plays a specific role in the overall composition. Arcaded facades, stepped or scrolled gables and superimposed orders are all motifs that interact with the neighbouring Grand'Place and Place des Héros. This building offers visitors a rare opportunity to see at close quarters how the bourgeoisie and merchants of Arras conceived of their homes in the Age of Enlightenment: architecture of pageantry turned towards the street, designed to display the social standing of its owner, but also functional, meeting the needs of a flourishing economy based on the cloth and lace trade. The attention paid to the sculpted details, the modenature of the facades and the quality of the materials used all bear witness to a strong aesthetic ambition. The setting in Arras makes the visit even more interesting. As part of a town that was able to rebuild and preserve its identity after the destruction of two world wars, this building is best appreciated in its relationship with the surrounding public spaces, covered galleries and cafés that still enliven one of the most beautiful squares in France.
Architecture
The building is part of the Flemish-influenced classical architectural tradition that characterised 18th-century civil architecture in Arras. Its facade, built over several storeys in keeping with the custom of the merchant bourgeoisie of the time, is probably typical of private mansions and tenement buildings in the region: a base in local limestone, pilasters or pilasters punctuating the vertical composition, windows with moulded frames and protruding keys, and a steeply pitched roof covered in slate or Flemish tiles, in keeping with the Artois building tradition. Bluestone or grey limestone extracted from local quarries is the main material used for the structure and facings, giving the building the soft, luminous hue characteristic of Arras facades. The sculpted details - friezes, cornices, stylised capitals - reveal the hand of craftsmen trained in local workshops, heirs to a long tradition of stone-cutting in northern France. The composition of the façade respects the principles of symmetry and balance so dear to classical French architecture, while incorporating references to Flemish decorative sensibilities, particularly in the treatment of the dormers and upper sections. The interior layout probably follows the canonical plan of the eighteenth-century bourgeois residence: a central corridor or vestibule distributing the reception rooms on the street frontage, the living and service areas at the back, with a wooden or stone grand staircase. This type of building often combined commercial or warehouse premises on the ground floor with residential flats on the upper floors, reflecting the dual vocation of the city's major trading families.
Related Figures
Joseph Le Bon — représentant en mission révolutionnaire à Arras, dont l'action marqua les propriétés bourgeoises de la villeMaximilien de Robespierre — natif d'Arras, avocat puis figure de la Révolution, dont le contexte social façonna l'époque de constructionLouis-Marie de Bournonville — famille noble artésienne liée à l'histoire immobilière d'Arras au XVIIIe siècleLes maîtres maçons et tailleurs de pierre arrageois — artisans anonymes formateurs du bâti classique local au XVIIIe siècleLes architectes de la Commission des Monuments Historiques — experts ayant instruit le dossier de classement de 1920
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Immeuble located?
Immeuble is located in Arras, Pas-de-Calais department, Hauts-de-France region, France.
When was Immeuble built?
Immeuble dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Immeuble open to visitors?
Immeuble is currently closed to visitors.