Château de la Morande
Castle
Château de la Morande, located in Roquetoire (Pas-de-Calais), is a Renaissance château built in the 16th century. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- Castle
- Period
- Renaissance (16th century)
- Location
- Roquetoire, Pas-de-Calais, Hauts-de-France
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 50.6773, 2.3443
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00108386
An elegant residence dating from the first half of the 18th century, Château de la Morande in Roquetoire displays the sober distinction of classical Flemish architecture, with its golden brick and dark slate.
History
Nestling in the bocage of the Artesian countryside, on the edge of the Pas-de-Calais department, Château de la Morande is one of those discreet residences that embody with perfect consistency the lifestyle of the provincial nobility during the Age of Enlightenment. Far from the ostentation of Versailles, it cultivates a restrained elegance, based on measured proportions and a subtle dialogue between the warmth of the local brick and the rigour of the white ashlar framing the openings. What sets Château de la Morande apart is precisely this rare quality known as architectural appropriateness: each element - facades, mansard roofs, corner pavilions - responds to an overall logic that lends the building an almost musical serenity. The buildings are arranged around a main courtyard that opens onto the agricultural landscape, in a tradition typical of manor houses and châteaux in the north of France, inherited from the Spanish Netherlands. The main facade, soberly punctuated by regular bays, reveals a finesse of detail that first impressions would not have suggested. The moulded window surrounds, stone quoins and pedimented dormers bear witness to the care taken by master builders who were perfectly aware of the Parisian and Flemish fashions of their day. The natural setting adds to the charm of the ensemble: the château is set in parkland with a gentle English countryside feel, criss-crossed by hedgerows and old trees, often enveloped in a particularly photogenic light by the morning mists of the Artois region. If you're looking to get away from the beaten tourist track, La Morande offers a precious glimpse of France's rural heritage in all its authenticity.
Architecture
Château de la Morande is part of the classical architectural tradition of northern France, which combines the academic vocabulary of the French school - strict symmetry of facades, hierarchy of buildings, regular rhythm of bays - with Flemish construction practices, in particular the generous use of dressed brick combined with white stone elements for the quoins, window surrounds and cornices. This warm bichromy is one of the most characteristic visual signatures of the noble homes of the Pas-de-Calais in the 18th century. The ground plan probably follows the open U-shaped layout or the rectangular main building flanked by slightly projecting pavilions, a common feature of buildings of this period and scale in the Artois region. The Mansard-style roof, covered in dark slate in accordance with regional custom, crowns all of its breaks and straight attics punctuated by alternating triangular and curvilinear pediment roof dormers. This steeply pitched roof, adapted to the rainy climate of the north, helps to give the building its characteristic silhouette, vertical and slender despite the relative modesty of the programme. The openings, laid out in a regular grid, feature projecting sills and sculpted keystones that bear witness to the builders' concern for ornament. The outbuildings and farm outbuildings, traditionally set back from the main dwelling or at right-angles to the main courtyard, complete the ensemble in a more restrained style, ensuring the functional coherence of the rural estate.
Related Figures
Commanditaire anonyme de la noblesse artésienne (1ère moitié XVIIIe siècle) — maître d'ouvrage présumé de la construction originelleMaître maçon local (identité non établie) — architecte ou entrepreneur responsable de l'édification, formé aux traditions flamandes et françaisesFamilles de propriétaires successifs des XVIIIe et XIXe siècles — gestionnaires du domaine agricole et résidentielInspecteur des Monuments Historiques (1976) — responsable de l'instruction du dossier ayant conduit à l'inscription protectrice
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Château de la Morande located?
Château de la Morande is located in Roquetoire, Pas-de-Calais department, Hauts-de-France region, France.
When was Château de la Morande built?
Château de la Morande dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Château de la Morande open to visitors?
Château de la Morande is currently closed to visitors.