Maison de bois dite Maison des Trois Flûtes
MonumentHidden Treasure
Au cœur du vieux Bourges, la Maison des Trois Flûtes déploie sa façade de bois sculpté médiévale, véritable dentelle de chêne où s'entremêlent motifs musicaux et figures grotesques d'une finesse rare.
© Wikimedia Commons
History
Nestling in the labyrinth of narrow streets in the historic centre of Bourges, the Maison des Trois Flûtes is one of the rare examples of timber-framed houses in Berry that have survived the centuries without losing their soul. Its street façade, punctuated by a succession of corbelled roofs, bears witness to the bourgeois prosperity of the craftsmen and merchants of the late Middle Ages. The very name of the residence - evocative and mysterious - suggests an ancient connection with the world of music, perhaps a trade sign or corporate symbol engraved in the wood of the joists. What sets the house apart in the Berrrichon architectural landscape is above all the quality of its carved wood. The jambs, rails and spandrels still bear traces of meticulous ornamentation: interlacing plants, expressive heads and geometric motifs typical of the craftsmanship tradition in Central France. Every detail betrays the hand of a carpenter-sculptor who fully mastered his art, at a time when the house of a Bourges nobleman had to display his success on the street. A visit to the Maison des Trois Flûtes is also a chance to immerse yourself in one of the best-preserved medieval centres in France. Bourges, a city of art and history listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its Saint-Etienne cathedral, offers a first-rate setting for this discreet residence. The street in which it stands retains its old-fashioned dimensions, giving visitors a sense of the human scale of the medieval city. Although the interior has undergone a number of changes over the centuries, it probably retains the broad outlines of the traditional layout: a front room opening onto the shop, a rear courtyard and a vaulted cellar. It is this functional continuity, even more than the sheer formal beauty, that makes these wooden houses so precious: they tell the story of the ordinary and extraordinary life of a town that was, in the 15th century, one of the cultural and political capitals of the kingdom of France.
Architecture
The Maison des Trois Flûtes is a typical example of medieval half-timbered civil architecture as practised in Berry between the 14th and 15th centuries. Its street-facing facade is built on the principle of oak framing: corner posts, half-timbering, high and low runners and horizontal tie beams support a corbelling that projects the successive storeys above the ground floor, thus gaining living space while reducing the footprint. This process, common in dense medieval towns, gives the street a narrow, almost cavernous silhouette, typical of the historic centres of the Centre-Val de Loire region. The sculpted ornamentation is the main feature of this house. The exposed joists bear motifs in the round or in bas-relief - stylised foliage, plaits, animal or human figures - in a style reminiscent of the decorative repertoires of the late Middle Ages used in the workshops in Bruges that were contemporary with Jacques Cœur's palace. The spandrels between the windows feature panels with geometric or floral decoration, while the corners are reinforced by sculpted brackets. The name of the house suggests that wind instrument motifs, or perhaps a sign depicting three flutes, featured prominently on the façade. The roof is steeply pitched, as is customary in the region, and covered in traditional flat tiles from the Berry region. The whole structure rests on masonry foundations made of local limestone, a material abundant in the Berry subsoil. The interior, although altered, was originally laid out lengthways, with a large lower hall on the ground floor and bedrooms served by a spiral or return staircase, a common solution in wealthy homes in the late Middle Ages.
Related Figures
Charles VII, roi de France — qui fit de Bourges sa capitale pendant la guerre de Cent Ans, insufflant un dynamisme exceptionnel à la cité et à son artisanatJacques Cœur (vers 1395-1456) — grand argentier du roi, symbole de la prospérité bourgeoise du XVe siècle et contemporain probable de la constructionJean de Berry (1340-1416) — duc mécène qui transforma Bourges en capitale artistique un siècle avant la maison, instituant une tradition architecturale d'excellenceAnonyme maître-charpentier berruyer — artisan dont la main est lisible dans la sculpture des solivaux, formé dans la tradition des ateliers du Centre de la FrancePremiers propriétaires marchands ou artisans musiciens — figures disparues mais suggérées par l'enseigne des trois flûtes, témoins du commerce médiéval de Bourges
