Maison canoniale
MonumentHidden Treasure
Vestige médiéval exceptionnel au cœur de Chartres, cette maison canoniale du XIVe siècle abrite deux charpentes à chevrons datées de 1317 et 1318 — parmi les plus précisément datées de France.
© Wikimedia Commons
History
Nestling in the dense urban fabric of Chartres' canonical quarter, a stone's throw from Notre-Dame Cathedral, the canonical house at no. 24 is a precious fragment of a vanished world: that of the large clerical residences that punctuated the life of the cathedral chapter in the Middle Ages. Rescued from the successive alterations of the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, it is now the only surviving part of what was once the vast house known as 'Le Chevecier', head of the cathedral choir, responsible for the liturgy and a central figure in the clergy of Chartres. What makes this building truly unique is the precision with which its timbers have been dated using dendrochronology. The two wooden structures that make up its roof - a west frame and an east frame, both with rafter-beams and pointed barrel vaults - were put in place in 1317 and around 1318. This dating accuracy is almost unique for a medieval civil building, making it an irreplaceable milestone for specialists in French medieval carpentry. The slightly protruding angle in the centre of the eaves wall on the street discreetly reveals to the discerning passer-by the junction of these two carpentry structures of slightly different design, as if two parallel projects had come together in impeccable continuity. These structures, once exposed and panelled on the inside, offered the canons who lived there an interior architectural spectacle of Gothic sophistication. Visiting this canons' house means looking beyond the tourist decorum to appreciate the architecture in all its documentary nakedness. The façade's apparent modesty conceals a wealth of carpentry that is as fascinating to art historians as it is to old stone enthusiasts with a keen eye for detail. In the exceptional context of Chartres, a UNESCO World Heritage site, this discreet dwelling reminds us that great history can also be read in the ordinary homes of those who served the cathedral.
Architecture
From the outside, the canonical house at no. 24 is a sober, gable-roofed dwelling whose street façade barely hints at the richness of its carpentry structure. It is precisely in this apparent discretion that one of its charms lies: the slightly perceptible angle in the centre of the eaves wall, where the two roof timbers dating from 1317 and 1318 meet, is the only clue visible from the street to the building's constructive duality. The building's main architectural feature is its double rafter-bearing roof structure with a pointed barrel vault. This type of roof structure, typical of the late 13th and early 14th centuries in northern France, is based on the principle of triangular trusses bearing rafters that form a barrel vault with broken arches, creating a wooden vault with a striking visual effect. The two frameworks, which are almost contemporary - 1317 and circa 1318 - form a homogeneous whole, while at the same time testifying to two distinct micro-constructions, probably entrusted to the same team of Chartra carpenters. Once exposed and panelled, they offered the occupants of the house the equivalent of prestigious carved wood panelling, typical of cultivated Gothic interiors. The materials used are those of traditional Chartres medieval construction: Perche and Chartres limestone for the masonry and oak for the roof timbers. The whole complex blends harmoniously into the fabric of the Chartres canonical quarter, whose human scale and medieval density create an urban setting of rare historical coherence.
Related Figures
Le Chevecier de Chartres (XIVe-XVIIIe siècle) — dignitaire du chapitre cathédral, responsable du trésor et de la liturgie, occupant historique de la maisonLes charpentiers chartrains (1317-1318) — artisans anonymes auteurs des deux remarquables charpentes à chevrons-portant-fermes conservéesLes chanoines du chapitre cathédral de Chartres (XIVe-XVIIIe siècle) — occupants successifs de la maison pendant quatre sièclesFulbert de Chartres (952-1028) — évêque bâtisseur qui illustra la grandeur du chapitre cathédral chartrain, précurseur du cadre canonial dans lequel s'inscrit cette maisonJean de Beauce (XVIe siècle) — architecte de la flèche nord de la cathédrale de Chartres, figure emblématique du milieu constructeur chartrain médiéval et Renaissance
