Maison à pans de bois
Monument
Maison à pans de bois, located in Montreuil (Pas-de-Calais), 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
- Montreuil, Pas-de-Calais, Hauts-de-France
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 50.4632, 1.7599
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00108363
In the heart of the medieval town of Montreuil-sur-Mer, this 16th-century half-timbered house epitomises the Picardy art of building in all its splendour: carved oak framework, bold corbelling and a façade that was listed as a Historic Monument in 1926.
History
Nestling in the cobbled streets of Montreuil-sur-Mer, one of the best-preserved fortified towns in the Pas-de-Calais region, this 16th-century timber-framed house is an exceptional example of Renaissance civil architecture in northern France. Where other towns have sacrificed their ancient fabric to successive reconstructions, Montreuil has managed to preserve a few jewels of its bourgeois heritage, of which this house is undoubtedly the most eloquent. What immediately distinguishes the house is the quality of its timber-framed structure: massive oak corner posts, finely moulded runners and scarps arranged in geometric patterns characteristic of the Picardo-Artesian regional style. The cob or brick infills, framed by the exposed roof timbers, create a lively façade in which the structure itself becomes an ornament. The corbelling of the upper storeys, typical of urban buildings of the period, maximises living space while giving the whole a picturesque and instantly recognisable silhouette. To visit this house is to plunge into the intimacy of Montreuil's merchant bourgeoisie at a time when the town prospered thanks to its cloth trade and its strategic position on the road between Paris and Calais. It's easy to imagine the craftsmen and merchants who kept these ground floors open to the street alive, while the corbelled upper floors housed their homes and storerooms. The patina of the wood, the irregularities of the old masonry and the dialogue between the façade and the cobblestones of the alleyway create an atmosphere of rare authenticity. The urban setting adds even more interest to the visit: Montreuil-sur-Mer, with its Vauban ramparts, its abbey and its old houses, forms a coherent heritage ensemble that makes every stroll through its narrow streets a real lesson in living history. The timber-framed house is a pivotal point, a landmark that anchors the town in its Renaissance past before the great transformations of the 17th and 18th centuries.
Architecture
The timber-framed house at Montreuil is an eloquent illustration of the constructional principles of 16th-century Artesian civil architecture. The supporting framework is made entirely of squared oak: the corner posts, upper and lower runners, crossbeams and diagonal bracing (or scarps) form a skeleton visible from the façade, characteristic of the half-timbered style widespread throughout northern France and the regions bordering what is now Belgium. The spaces between the structural elements are filled with hoardings of cob - a mixture of clay, straw and lime - or bricks laid diagonally using the "chip" technique typical of the region. The facade has one or more successive corbels: each storey slightly overhangs the one below, a process that made it possible to increase the living space at each level without encroaching further on the street, while providing some protection for the facades against the elements. The bays, initially with stone or wooden mullions, generously illuminate the living rooms. Mouldings run the length of the runners, testifying to the decorative care taken by carpenters of the period even on structural elements. The roof, with its steep slope typical of the northern climate, is covered in flat tiles or slate. The building as a whole, modest in size but elegantly proportioned, fits perfectly into the medieval plot of Montreuil, with a narrow street façade and a deep development on the plot. This balance between urban constraint and architectural ambition is one of the most remarkable qualities of this house.
Related Figures
Victor Hugo — romancier qui situa une partie de l'action des Misérables à Montreuil-sur-Mer, contribuant au rayonnement patrimonial de la villeCharles Quint — dont les troupes assiégèrent Montreuil en 1537, épisode militaire qui marqua durablement le tissu urbain de la citéVauban (Sébastien Le Prestre de) — ingénieur militaire qui remodela les fortifications de Montreuil au XVIIe siècle, préservant indirectement le tissu civil ancienArtisans charpentiers picards du XVIe siècle — maîtres bâtisseurs anonymes à l'origine de la construction, héritiers d'une longue tradition régionale de l'architecture à pans de boisÉdouard Charton — figure du mouvement patrimonial du XIXe siècle, promoteur de la valorisation du patrimoine architectural vernaculaire français
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Maison à pans de bois located?
Maison à pans de bois is located in Montreuil, Pas-de-Calais department, Hauts-de-France region, France.
When was Maison à pans de bois built?
Maison à pans de bois dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Maison à pans de bois open to visitors?
Maison à pans de bois is currently closed to visitors.