Maison à cornières
MonumentHidden Treasure
Maison à cornières, located in Beaumont (Dordogne), 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
- Beaumont, Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 44.7688, 0.7671
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00082347
At the heart of Beaumont-du-Périgord, the cornière houses form a medieval setting around the central square, an exceptional remnant of a fourteenth-century bastide with its preserved arcades.
History
The Place des Cornières in Beaumont-du-Périgord is one of the best-preserved medieval architectural ensembles in Périgord. Framed by houses with 14th-century facades, this square with its arcades - the famous "cornières" - is a reminder that Beaumont was founded in 1272 as an English royal bastide, according to a rigorous orthogonal plan that still defines the town's urban fabric today. What makes this ensemble truly unique is the almost unbroken continuity of the north side of the square, where the houses line up under a running balcony of rare coherence. The cornices - the covered arcades that once enabled merchants to display their wares sheltered from the elements - bear witness to the economic and social organisation of the medieval bastides of the south-west. On the south side, just one house has withstood the ravages of time, retaining its original angle iron and distinctive pointed spur roof. Strolling through these arcades is like walking through seven centuries of urban history. The cool shade of the vaulted passageways contrasts with the brightness of the Périgord in summer, while the blond limestone casts a golden light at the end of the day. The square is still home to a weekly market, perpetuating a commercial tradition unbroken since the Middle Ages. The setting is remarkable: the houses on the west facade rest directly on the bastide's ancient ramparts, revealing the layering of periods and the way in which medieval housing was literally grafted onto the urban defences. This architectural palimpsest makes Beaumont a living laboratory for medieval town planning in Gascony. Listed as Historic Monuments since 1952, these corner houses are just as much a delight for lovers of medieval architecture as they are for lovers of fine stonework and authentic Périgord, far from overcrowded sites.
Architecture
The corner houses of Beaumont illustrate the medieval civil architecture of the bastides of the south-west, characterised by a great economy of means and an assumed functionality. The arcades - or cornices as they are known - are formed of blonde Périgord limestone piers supporting semi-circular or slightly pointed arches, creating covered passageways on the ground floor. These galleries, two to three metres wide, allowed merchants to display their vices while protecting passers-by from the Perigord rain and summer heat. The best-preserved north facade shows remarkable continuity: the houses line up over several dozen metres, with a wooden or wrought iron balcony running along the first floor, a feature that could date back to the 17th-18th century remodelling. The elevations are generally two to three storeys high, with mullioned window openings typical of the late civil Gothic style. The house on the south side, which has retained its pointed roof, offers a valuable insight into its original massing: a steeply pitched roof finished in a spur, a typical silhouette of medieval Périgord buildings. The integration of the western houses into the old ramparts is a fascinating structural feature: the garden walls or rear facades of these dwellings literally lean against the medieval curtain walls of the bastide, transforming the military defences into domestic foundations. This phenomenon, which is common in surviving bastides, bears witness to the gradual conversion of defensive infrastructures into civilian urban fabric as military threats faded.
Related Figures
Édouard Ier d'Angleterre — roi commanditaire de la fondation de la bastide de Beaumont en 1272Luc de Thanay — sénéchal de Gascogne, fondateur effectif de la bastide au nom de la couronne anglaiseJean de Grailly — captal de Buch, figure de la résistance anglaise en Périgord pendant la guerre de Cent Ans, lié à la défense des bastides plantagenêtBertrand de Born — troubadour périgourdin emblématique, dont l'œuvre illustre la culture aristocratique et urbaine du Périgord médiévalProsper Mérimée — inspecteur général des Monuments Historiques au XIXe siècle, dont les travaux d'inventaire ont contribué à la reconnaissance des bastides périgourdines
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Maison à cornières located?
Maison à cornières is located in Beaumont, Dordogne department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, France.
When was Maison à cornières built?
Maison à cornières dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Maison à cornières open to visitors?
Maison à cornières is currently closed to visitors.