Manoir de la Beaureille
ManorHidden Treasure
Manoir de la Beaureille, located in Saint-Georges-de-Montclard (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-Georges-de-Montclard, Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 44.9175, 0.6190
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00082840
Nestled in the Périgord, this 16th-century manor reveals a rare square échauguette and majestic Renaissance fireplaces, understated witnesses to a preserved Périgordian seigneurial architecture.
History
In the heart of the Périgord Blanc, in Saint-Georges-de-Montclard, the Manoir de la Beaureille stands like a silent fragment of the rural French Renaissance. Far from the pomp and circumstance of the great châteaux of the Loire, it is the embodiment of the country gentry who, over the generations, soberly and elegantly built homes on a human scale, where each stone tells the story of a measured ambition. What makes La Beaureille so special is precisely the overlapping of its different eras. The building has undergone a number of transformations, yet certain features have stood the test of time and fashion: a square watchtower perched at the south-east corner of the main building, a defensive vestige characteristic of 16th-century Périgord manor houses, and mullioned windows whose meticulous proportions betray the influence of local master masons. This dialogue between the ages gives the site a depth that monuments that have been too uniformly restored do not always possess. The façades themselves tell a contradictory story: to the east, a rectangular door topped by a cornice with multiple mouldings bears witness to Renaissance refinement; to the west, a later semi-circular arch introduces a more classical note, as if each owner had wanted to leave his signature on the stone. Inside, the monumental fireplaces still in place evoke winter evenings in front of imposing fires, in rooms where management decisions were no doubt taken. To visit the Beaureille is to accept the challenge of deciphering an imperfect, reworked, living monument. For the architecture enthusiast or regional history buff, this reading of the layers is a real reward. The Périgord setting - soft hedged farmland, amber evening light on the limestone - adds to the charm of a visit that has to be earned by getting away from the usual tourist routes.
Architecture
The Beaureille manor house is a typical Périgord fortified house that evolved into a residence for pleasure, typical of the 16th century in the region. The building features a main building whose composition reflects successive alterations, but reveals a primitive layout that is consistent with local building practices: Périgord limestone masonry, a roof probably made of lauzes or flat tiles in keeping with the tradition of the area, simple, compact volumes dictated by the pragmatism of rural lords. The most striking feature of the exterior is the square watchtower at the south-east corner of the building. Unlike the more common cylindrical watchtowers, the square shape here indicates a local influence and a relatively early date in the 16th century. The surviving mullioned windows illustrate the mastery of Périgord stonemasons: the mullion divides the opening into two or four days, framed by cavet or quarter-round mouldings according to the custom of the time. On the east facade, the rectangular door surmounted by a cornice with multiple superimposed mouldings is the showpiece of the residence, in the tradition of provincial Renaissance doors, where the accumulation of moulded profiles reflects the client's decorative ambitions. The interior features several monumental fireplaces, typical of noble residences of the period. These imposing hoods, often decorated with mouldings and sometimes with escutcheons, structured the daily life of the large rooms and are today the most eloquent reminders of the domestic splendour of yesteryear. The round-arched door on the west facade, built later, breaks with the Renaissance vocabulary of the rest of the building to introduce a more sober and functional note, characteristic of 17th or 18th century fittings.
Related Figures
Seigneurs locaux anonymes du XVIe siècle, commanditaires présumés de la construction initialeMaîtres maçons périgourdins du XVIe siècle, artisans de l'échauguette et des fenêtres à meneauxPropriétaires successifs des XVIIe-XVIIIe siècles, responsables des remaniements classiquesPropriétaires du XIXe siècle ayant maintenu le manoir en état d'usage agricole ou résidentielInspecteurs des Monuments Historiques ayant instruit le dossier d'inscription de 1978
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Manoir de la Beaureille located?
Manoir de la Beaureille is located in Saint-Georges-de-Montclard, Dordogne department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, France.
When was Manoir de la Beaureille built?
Manoir de la Beaureille dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Manoir de la Beaureille open to visitors?
Manoir de la Beaureille is currently closed to visitors.