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
- 50.2882, 2.7675
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00108174
In the heart of Arras, this elegant 18th-century residence epitomises the refinement of Artois civil architecture, with its brick and stone façade and classical proportions characteristic of the late Grand Siècle.
History
In the urban fabric of Arras, a town whose arcaded squares are among the most beautiful in France, this 18th-century house stands out as a precious testimony to Arrasian civil architecture at its height. Listed as a Historic Monument since 1948, it is one of a remarkable collection of bourgeois and aristocratic residences that line the streets of the capital of the Pas-de-Calais region, shaping a unique urban identity that combines Flemish influences and French classicism. For Arras, the 18th century was a period of prosperity and intense architectural renewal. After the successive destruction and rebuilding associated with the conflicts of the previous centuries, the town experienced a bourgeois building movement that endowed its streets with beautiful, well-ordered facades, combining the local red brick with ashlar white stone. This house is a perfect example of this provincial classicism with a Nordic flavour, which is the hallmark of the town's heritage. The building bears witness to the skills of local master masons and carpenters, heirs to a regional building tradition that adapted the canons of Parisian classicism to the resources and tastes of northern France. The use of brick, the king material of the Artois and Flanders regions, gives the building a particular warmth of colour that is enhanced by the limestone quoins and surrounds. To visit this residence is to plunge into the intimacy of the daily life of Arras' elite during the Age of Enlightenment, a time when the town was buzzing with intellectual and political life - Robespierre himself was a native of Arras and practised as a lawyer there before the Revolution. The district in which it is housed retains the atmosphere of an old, lively town, with the baroque monumentality of the famous Grand-Place and Place des Héros squares and the calm of the surrounding cobbled streets.
Architecture
The architecture of this 18th-century residence in Arras is in the tradition of Nordic provincial classicism, characterised by the combination of brick and stone, materials emblematic of Artesian and Flemish construction. The facade, which was probably laid out according to a principle of strict symmetry, displays the typical features of this type of construction: regular bays punctuated by small-timbered windows, limestone surrounds contrasting with the red brick, and a moulded cornice marking the boundary between the main body and the roof. Depending on the prevailing local custom, the roof is probably slate or plain tile, traditional materials in the north of France, topping a steeply pitched roof characteristic of Flemish architectural influences. The interior layout is in keeping with that of 18th-century private mansions and houses of note, with rooms arranged in rows or around a central corridor, carefully proportioned rooms adorned with wood panelling, marble or carved stone fireplaces, and ceilings with moulded cornices testifying to the care taken with the interior decorations. The ornamental details - mascarons, sculpted keystones, wrought-iron railings with geometric or floral motifs characteristic of the Louis XV or Louis XVI style - contribute to the elegance of the whole without becoming ostentatious. This ornamental restraint is typical of Artesian civil architecture, which prefers the quality of its proportions and the nobility of its materials to decorative excess.
Related Figures
Maximilien de Robespierre — natif d'Arras (1758-1794), avocat puis figure de la Révolution française, dont le destin est indissociable de la villeJoseph Le Bon — représentant en mission à Arras durant la Terreur (1793-1794), qui bouleversa la société arrageoise et redistribua les propriétés bourgeoisesLes maîtres maçons de la confrérie artésienne — artisans anonymes héritiers d'une tradition constructive régionale en brique et pierre au XVIIIe siècleLes parlementaires d'Artois — juristes et officiers royaux qui constituaient la principale clientèle de ce type de demeures bourgeoises à ArrasLes intendants de la généralité d'Arras — administrateurs royaux qui supervisèrent le développement urbain et architectural de la ville au XVIIIe siècle
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.