maison Blain
Monument
maison Blain, located in Doussard (Département 74), 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
- Doussard, Département 74, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 45.7876, 6.2337
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00118388
A 15th-century survivor in the heart of Haute-Savoie, the Blain de Doussard house reveals the art of medieval Savoyard building in its mountain setting, between Lake Annecy and the Bauges massif.
History
Nestling in the village of Doussard, at the southern end of Lake Annecy, the Maison Blain is one of the few remaining examples of 15th-century civil architecture in Haute-Savoie. In a region where medieval heritage is often concentrated around large fortresses or abbeys, this bourgeois or aristocratic residence offers an intimate look at Savoyard domestic architecture in the late Middle Ages, at a time when the county of Savoy was enjoying unprecedented political and cultural influence. What sets the Maison Blain apart is precisely its discretion: it lacks the grandiloquence of châteaux, but possesses that rare quality of preserved authenticity. Its sober volumes, its mullioned openings carved into the local stone and its architectural details characteristic of Savoyard Gothic make it an exceptional architectural document for art historians and lovers of rural heritage. The partial listing of the building as a Historic Monument in 1974 made it possible to protect its most significant parts, guaranteeing the survival of a building that could have disappeared into the anonymity of 20th-century renovations. Today, Maison Blain is set in an area where nature and history meet: the Bauges massif as a backdrop, the turquoise waters of Lake Annecy just a few kilometres away, and the villages of the Combe d'Ire that have retained their authentic alpine character. For the curious visitor, it's a chance to get off the beaten track and see, in the grey stone of the Pre-Alps, something essential about the daily lives of the Savoyard rural elite in the time of Dukes Amédée VIII and Louis I. An invaluable stop-off for anyone exploring the south shore of Lake Annecy beyond the café terraces.
Architecture
The Blain house is in the tradition of Savoyard domestic architecture of the 15th century, characterised by the use of local limestone cut with care for the noble elements (bay frames, quoins) and a more rustic style for the ordinary masonry. The layout, which was probably rectangular and laid out over two or three storeys, was designed to meet the climatic requirements of the Alps: a low ground floor housing storerooms and outbuildings, with the upper floors reserved for living and reception areas. The most significant architectural features are undoubtedly the stone mullioned windows, typical of late Savoyard Gothic, which punctuated the façades while providing light to the main rooms. Prismatic or braced mouldings probably framed the most elaborate openings, testifying to the quality of local craftsmanship. The roof, which was steeply pitched to withstand the snowfalls of the Pre-Alps, was traditionally covered with lauzes or flat tiles, materials found throughout the medieval buildings of the Annecy region. The partial protection granted by Monuments Historiques suggests that some parts of the house have remarkably retained their original medieval substance, while other sections may have been rebuilt at a later date. It is precisely in these preserved elements - sculpted bays, Gothic masonry and perhaps traces of interior decoration - that the exceptional documentary and artistic value of the Maison Blain lies within the civil heritage of the 74 department.
Related Figures
Amédée VIII de Savoie — premier duc de Savoie (1416), sous le règne duquel la maison fut vraisemblablement construiteLa famille Blain — commanditaires présumés de la demeure, notables locaux du bourg de Doussard au XVe siècleLouis Ier de Savoie — duc de Savoie (1440-1465), successeur d'Amédée VIII, période probable d'achèvement ou d'occupation de la demeureLes maçons savoyards du XVe siècle — artisans anonymes ayant perpétué la tradition du gothique alpin dans les constructions civiles rurales
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is maison Blain located?
maison Blain is located in Doussard, Département 74 department, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, France.
When was maison Blain built?
maison Blain dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is maison Blain open to visitors?
maison Blain is currently closed to visitors.