Immeuble
MonumentHidden Treasure
Immeuble, located in Figeac (Département 46), 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
- Figeac, Département 46, Occitanie
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 44.6088, 2.0337
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00095287
In the heart of Figeac, this 14th-century medieval town house boasts pointed arches, geminated bays and souleilho, the quintessence of Quercy civil architecture.
History
At the bend in a cobbled lane in old Figeac, this medieval building stands out as one of the most complete examples of Quercy civil architecture. Organised around an inner courtyard where time seems to stand still, the complex comprises three main buildings that have interacted with each other over centuries of patient and successive transformations. Here, the blonde Quercy limestone catches the light at all hours of the day, giving the façade an almost golden warmth that discerning photographers know how to capture in the late afternoon. What really sets this building apart from its contemporaries is the almost scholastic - yet lively - fidelity with which it embodies the architectural vocabulary of Figeac. The succession of large pointed arches on the ground floor, once used for trade and merchants, the double lancet windows on the upper storey, the cornice separating the upper storey and the famous souleilho - the open loggia under the roof, an absolute signature of Figeac's medieval urban fabric - make up a remarkably coherent decorative programme. The inner courtyard, the real secret heart of the residence, holds an additional surprise: one of its facades is built of timber-framed walls, a reminder that the medieval town was not monolithically mineral, but willingly mixed materials according to availability and use. These courtyard facades, which are more intimate than the street facade, have retained some surprisingly fresh features from the late 15th century. Situated on the route to Santiago de Compostela, the building is part of a network of sites steeped in history and spirituality. Over the centuries, Figeac, a town of pilgrimage, trade and culture, has fashioned an urban fabric with a rare density of heritage, of which this building is one of the most precious nodes. For today's visitor, to linger here is to hear the echo of eight hundred years of Quercy's trading and craft history.
Architecture
The building is a typical example of the medieval Quercy town house, of which Figeac has one of the finest collections in France. Its layout of three buildings around an inner courtyard follows a common pattern in southern merchant towns, where residence and business coexisted under the same roof. The main façade on the street follows the canonical vocabulary of Figeac's civil architecture: on the ground floor, large semi-circular or slightly ogival arches open onto the public thoroughfare, direct descendants of the Romanesque loggias where traders and craftsmen worked. The upper storey features delicate, slender geminated windows with flamboyant tracery, separated from the second storey by a moulded cornice that emphasises the horizontal composition. At the top of the building, the souleilho - a wooden or masonry gallery open to the outside, typical of southern architecture and particularly common in Figeac - provides a transition between the facade and the roof, as well as an essential space for drying and ventilation in medieval daily life. The courtyard facades reveal another facet of the building: one of them is timber-framed, a reminder of the diversity of construction techniques used in the Middle Ages, even in buildings of a certain pretension. Blond Quercy limestone, extracted from local quarries, is the main material used for the masonry, giving the building the warm colour so characteristic of the Figeac urban landscape. The sculpted details of the geminated bays and capitals, although discreet, bear witness to the quality of the craftsmanship of the local workshops that worked simultaneously on the town's religious and civil projects.
Related Figures
Marchands figeacois du XIVe siècle — commanditaires présumés de l'unification des deux bâtiments d'origineMaîtres maçons quercynois du XVe siècle — artisans des remaniements flamboyants visibles sur les façades de courFamilles bourgeoises de Figeac — propriétaires successifs qui entretinrent et transformèrent l'édifice du XIVe au XVIIIe siècleTempliers du Quercy — ordre dont les liens avec Figeac inspirent le projet de documentation associé à l'édificePèlerins de Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle — voyageurs qui empruntaient la route passant devant la demeure depuis le Moyen ÂgeService des Monuments Historiques — institution ayant initié et validé le classement de 1991
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Immeuble located?
Immeuble is located in Figeac, Département 46 department, Occitanie 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.