Maison Bordes
MonumentHidden Treasure
Maison Bordes, located in Saint-Cirq-Lapopie (Département 46), is a medieval landmark built in the Middle Ages. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Medieval (11th-15th century)
- Location
- Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, Département 46, Occitanie
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 44.4644, 1.6722
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00095229
Saint-Cirq-Lapopie's medieval timber-framed jewel, this 14th-century house boasts a remarkable corbelling and an intact Gothic facade overlooking the narrow streets of France's most beautiful village.
History
In the heart of Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, perched on limestone cliffs overlooking the Lot, the Maison Bordes is one of the best-preserved medieval houses in an already exceptional village. Listed as a Historic Monument since 1930, it embodies the rare authenticity of 14th-century domestic architecture in the Quercy region, at a time when prosperous craftsmen and merchants built their homes in the image of their success. What immediately sets the Maison Bordes apart is its entirely timber-framed street façade, a technique that was widespread in the busy market towns of the Midi at the time, but which is so rarely preserved today in such a state of repair. The progressive corbelling of the upper storeys, supported by carefully moulded joists at the ends, gives the building its characteristic silhouette, which seems to lean gently towards the lane, as if to better observe passers-by. The brick infill between the half-timbering adds a touch of warmth and colour typical of the Quercy region's architectural palette. A visit to the outskirts of the house reveals a further surprise: a stone staircase, set against the south-west façade, leads to the first floor via a door surmounted by a pointed arch - an elegant Gothic feature that reminds us that bourgeois comfort in the Middle Ages was not exempt from a certain formal refinement. The rear of the building, with its exposed limestone rubble, is in perfect harmony with the rock of the cliff, perfectly illustrating the interweaving of the built environment and the geology that is so characteristic of Saint-Cirq-Lapopie. Set in one of the most photographed sites in France, the Maison Bordes enjoys an exceptional setting. The village, listed as one of France's Most Beautiful Villages and voted "France's Favourite Village" in 2012, offers a well-preserved medieval setting in which this residence is a coherent and lively part of the whole. For the attentive visitor, it represents a precious testimony to the daily life of a Quercy bourgeois at the end of the Middle Ages.
Architecture
Maison Bordes has a rectangular floor plan with three levels - ground floor and two upper floors - typical of medieval bourgeois houses in Quercy towns. The duality of the building's materials is immediately apparent: while the side and rear walls are built of exposed limestone rubble, straight from local quarries, the street façade features a magnificent Gothic timber-framed facade with a brick infill that adds a colourful touch typical of southern buildings. The corbelling is the most spectacular technical feature of the façade. On each storey, the structure cantilevers forward thanks to a system of joists superimposed in pairs, the ends of which are carefully moulded - a sign of attention to detail that goes beyond mere functionality. This system made it possible to increase the surface area of the habitable floors at the expense of the alleyway space, a common practice in dense medieval urban fabrics. The solid oak lintel running along the base of the façade, originally supported in the middle by a vertical post forming a bay opening onto the street, evokes the layout of the arcaded or roofed houses so common in the bastides and market towns of the south of France. Access to the first floor is via an external limestone staircase, set against the south-west facade and protected by the very massing of the building. The first-floor entrance door, surmounted by a pointed arch - the quintessential Gothic ogive - lends this secondary entrance a neat architectural dignity and testifies to the standard of living of its first occupants. The whole structure, compact and robust despite the apparent lightness of its half-timbering, is a perfect illustration of the skills of 14th-century Quercy carpenters and masons.
Related Figures
Famille Bordes — propriétaires éponymes médiévaux, probablement artisans ou marchands prospères de Saint-Cirq-Lapopie au XIVe siècleAndré Breton — poète surréaliste qui s'installe à Saint-Cirq-Lapopie à partir de 1950 et contribue à la notoriété culturelle du villageEugène Viollet-le-Duc — théoricien du patrimoine médiéval dont l'œuvre inspire les premières campagnes de classement des maisons à pans de bois en FranceHenri Daynac — folkloriste et historien lotois du XIXe siècle ayant documenté l'architecture rurale du QuercyPaul Berthier — inspecteur des Monuments Historiques ayant instruit le dossier de classement de 1930 pour plusieurs édifices de Saint-Cirq-Lapopie
Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Maison Bordes located?
Maison Bordes is located in Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, Département 46 department, Occitanie region, France.
When was Maison Bordes built?
Maison Bordes dates back to a period built in the Middle Ages (11th-15th century).
Is Maison Bordes open to visitors?
Maison Bordes is currently closed to visitors.