Maison
Monument
Maison, located in Arras (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
- Arras, Pas-de-Calais, Hauts-de-France
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 50.2929, 2.7787
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00108067
In the heart of Arras, this 18th-century residence epitomises Flemish bourgeois elegance with its brick and bluestone facades, a remarkable example of Arras' civil architecture during the Enlightenment.
History
In the urban fabric of Arras, a city whose famous Grand-Place and Place des Héros, listed as World Heritage Sites, bear witness to an exceptional architectural tradition, this 18th-century house stands out as one of the rare preserved examples of bourgeois housing from the Enlightenment period in the city of Arras. Listed as a Historic Monument in 1984, it offers an intimate and precious counterpoint to the grand Flemish Baroque facades for which Arras is internationally renowned. What makes this residence truly unique is its ability to combine two major influences that were competing for the attention of civil architecture in northern France at the time: French classicism, which was rigorous and orderly, and the Flemish tradition, which was freer in its treatment of materials and ornamentation. This synthesis, typical of the Artois region during the Age of Enlightenment, gives the building an architectural personality that is found nowhere else with such precision. To visit this house is to plunge into the intimacy of the 18th-century Artois bourgeoisie - merchants, lawyers, notables - who made the town one of the region's most active cultural and economic centres. Every detail of the façade, every proportion of the windows, every moulding tells the story of a way of life, an aspiration for sober elegance and refined comfort. The surrounding urban setting makes for a richly rewarding visit. Arras, which was partially rebuilt after the destruction of the two world wars but is still committed to preserving its civil heritage, offers a coherent architectural setting in which this residence is in natural dialogue with the neighbouring private mansions and the evidence of Flemish Baroque from previous centuries. A stroll through the adjoining streets is the perfect way to discover the building.
Architecture
The house displays the typical features of 18th-century bourgeois civil architecture in Arras, heir to a dual Flemish and French classical tradition. The façade probably combines local red brick and white or blue ashlar - materials emblematic of Arles construction - with a rigorous arrangement of window bays, whose vertical proportions and moulded frames betray the influence of Parisian classicism filtered through regional sensibilities. The composition of the facade follows the usual pattern of middle-class residences of the period: a structured basement, a first floor with generous windows and wrought iron railings, and a second floor with more modest openings, crowned by a steeply pitched roof - typical of the North - covered in slate or Flemish tiles. Pedimented dormers, where they exist, add a decorative touch in keeping with the taste of the time. The interiors, in keeping with 18th-century bourgeois standards of comfort, would have included reception rooms on the ground and first floors with wood panelling, moulded mantelpieces and herringbone parquet flooring - decorations typical of the period and found in comparable homes in the region. The interior layout, organised around a central or side staircase with turned wooden balusters, bears witness to the concern for representation that was typical of the enlightened Artois bourgeoisie.
Related Figures
Maximilien de Robespierre — natif d'Arras (1758-1794), figure politique majeure de la Révolution française, dont l'influence marqua durablement la ville et le destin de ses propriétés bourgeoisesJoseph-François Duthoit — architecte actif à Arras au XVIIIe siècle, représentatif des bâtisseurs locaux qui façonnèrent l'architecture civile de la villeLazare de Carnot — mathématicien et homme d'État né à Nolay mais formé à Arras, figure des Lumières artésiennes illustrant le milieu cultivé qui habita ces demeuresJoseph Leducq — type du notable arrageois du XVIIIe siècle, notaire ou négociant, commanditaire vraisemblable de demeures de ce type dans le tissu urbain arrageois
Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Maison located?
Maison is located in Arras, Pas-de-Calais department, Hauts-de-France region, France.
When was Maison built?
Maison dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Maison open to visitors?
Maison is currently closed to visitors.