Maison de Beaugency
MonumentHidden Treasure
Maison de Beaugency, located in Beaugency (Loiret), 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
- Beaugency, Loiret, Centre-Val de Loire
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.7777, 1.6322
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00098696
Formerly the Auberge de la Croix d’Or in Beaugency, this late 15th-century gem is said to have hosted Henry IV and Gabrielle d’Estrées. Its enigmatic and damaged carved tympanum still intrigues historians.
© Wikimedia Commons
History
In the heart of Beaugency, a small Loire town whose medieval heritage rivals that of the great cities of the Loire, stands a discreet house whose stone walls have preserved the memory of the centuries. Formerly the Auberge de la Croix d'Or, and listed as a Historic Monument since 1947, it alone embodies the architectural and human wealth of this town, which for many years was an essential stop-off point on the royal road linking Paris to Touraine. What makes this building truly unique is the superimposition of two architectural periods: built at the crossroads of the 15th and 16th centuries, it bears witness to the transition from flamboyant Gothic to the first influences of the French Renaissance. The facade, sober in its proportions, reveals to the attentive eye the refinement of a quality bourgeois building, designed to welcome high-ranking travellers and prosperous merchants passing through the Loire Valley. The experience of visiting this house is above all that of an intimate encounter with history that is both ordinary and extraordinary. It's easy to imagine the royal cavalcades stopping under its gilded sign, the lively conversations in its great hall, and the courting intrigues taking place in the shelter of its thick walls. The mutilated tympanum on the façade, with the outline of a radiating cross still visible, adds a mysterious, almost archaeological dimension to the contemplation of the building. Beaugency itself is a remarkable setting: dominated by its 11th-century keep and its château dunois, and criss-crossed by a pedestrianised street lined with Renaissance mansions, the town offers an ideal setting for a stroll. The Maison de la Croix d'Or is a natural part of this rich heritage, just a stone's throw from the famous medieval bridge over the Loire.
Architecture
The Maison de la Croix d'Or belongs to the tradition of bourgeois civil construction in the Loire Valley at the end of the Gothic period, with the first Renaissance inflections that characterise the architectural production of the very early 16th century in the region. Built of ashlar limestone, a material that is ubiquitous in Loire Valley buildings, its street-facing facade is organised around a symmetrical composition typical of wealthy town houses of the period. The most remarkable and most studied feature of the building is the sculpted tympanum above the main entrance. Although partially mutilated over the centuries, this tympanum still reveals the outline of a radiating cross, a heraldic and religious motif that echoed the inn's sign. This type of sculpted decoration on the façade is typical of the wealthy houses of the late Flamboyant Gothic period, where those who commissioned the work displayed their social status and symbolic affiliations through the richness of the ornamentation. The openings on the façade - mullioned windows, moulded frames - and the general modenature of the building reflect the stylistic transition between the medieval heritage and the new influences from Italy, introduced into France in the wake of the wars in Italy led by Charles VIII and then Louis XII. As a whole, the architecture is sober and well-balanced, representative of the skills of the Beaugençon masons during this fertile period.
Related Figures
Henri IV — roi de France, aurait séjourné dans l'auberge lors de ses déplacements en val de LoireGabrielle d'Estrées — favorite d'Henri IV, aurait accompagné le roi lors de ce séjour beaugençoisDunois (Jean de Dunois) — compagnon de Jeanne d'Arc et seigneur de Beaugency, figure tutélaire de la cité à l'époque de la constructionJeanne d'Arc — libératrice de Beaugency en 1429, figure historique dont l'ombre plane sur toute la villeLouis XII — roi de France sous le règne duquel la demeure fut achevée, marquant l'essor du style Renaissance en Loire
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Maison de Beaugency located?
Maison de Beaugency is located in Beaugency, Loiret department, Centre-Val de Loire region, France.
When was Maison de Beaugency built?
Maison de Beaugency dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Maison de Beaugency open to visitors?
Maison de Beaugency is currently closed to visitors.