Logis de la Bluttière
MonumentHidden Treasure
Aux portes d'Angers, le logis de la Bluttière dévoile ses lucarnes Renaissance finement sculptées et une chapelle parée de stucs rocaille du XVIIIe siècle, joyau discret du Val d'Aubance.
History
Nestling in the Anjou bocage, in the commune of Charcé-Saint-Ellier-sur-Aubance, the Logis de la Bluttière is one of those gentleman's manor houses that punctuate the Aubance valley with their elegant, discreet silhouette. Far from the monumentality of the great fortresses of the Loire, it embodies a refined provincial art of living, where architecture is at a man's level, intimate and cultivated. What immediately sets La Bluttière apart is the quality of its Renaissance dormers: carved from the blond tufa stone typical of the Loire Valley, their sculpted pediments and pilasters bear witness to the skills of Anjou craftsmen in the late 16th century. This ornamental vocabulary, inherited from the great royal building sites along the Loire, was appropriated here by a local elite keen to display its culture and standing. The interior is full of surprises: the private chapel, converted or remodelled in the 18th century, is adorned with Rococo stuccowork of a rare freshness. This delicate decoration, full of scrolls and garlands, contrasts pleasantly with the sobriety of the exterior façade and reveals the attachment of its owners to the artistic fashions of their time, between the gentleness of Anjou and the spirit of Paris. The charm of the building is enhanced by its surroundings: the gentle wine-growing hills of the Aubance, covered with slopes that are ideal for growing Cabernet Franc, envelop the dwelling in an unspoilt rural landscape. The attentive visitor can see the continuity of the agricultural and seigneurial life that has shaped this area for four centuries. Listed as a Historic Monument in 2006, the Logis de la Bluttière remains little-known to the general tourist trade, which makes it an ideal place to discover authentic heritage, far from the crowds that flock to the great châteaux of the Loire.
Architecture
The Logis de la Bluttière is typical of late-Renaissance manor houses in Anjou: the main building is made of Loire tuffeau, a soft limestone material in cream and gold tones, covered by a steeply pitched roof that emphasises the building's roots in the Loire building tradition. The dormer windows are the most spectacular feature of the exterior composition. Carefully sculpted, they feature an ornate Renaissance programme - triangular or arched pediments, fluted pilasters, moulded entablatures - revealing the mastery of craftsmen trained in the lessons of the great royal building sites of the Loire. Each dormer window is like a self-contained architectural tableau, demonstrating the taste and culture of its patron. The interior of the dwelling retains the spatial layout typical of the period: well-proportioned rooms served by spiral or straight staircases, monumental fireplaces providing heating for the flats. The chapel, converted or extensively remodelled in the 18th century, is the real jewel inside the building. Its Rococo stucco decoration - the delicate work of specialist plasterer-sculptors - displays a refined ornamental vocabulary of shells, foliage, garlands and asymmetrical plant motifs, bathed in subdued light that enhances the relief. This contrast between the Renaissance exterior and the rocaille interior is La Bluttière's most original architectural signature.
Related Figures
Propriétaires nobles locaux de la fin du XVIe siècle, commanditaires du logis RenaissanceArtisans tuffeautiers angevins, sculpteurs des lucarnes à décor RenaissancePropriétaires du XVIIIe siècle, commanditaires du décor de stucs rocaille de la chapellePlâtriers-stucateurs itinérants du XVIIIe siècle, auteurs du décor rocaille intérieur
