Maison de maître située au lieudit "les Girards"
MonumentHidden Treasure
Maison de maître située au lieudit "les Girards", located in Saint-Aubin (Indre), 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
- Saint-Aubin, Indre, Centre-Val de Loire
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 46.8626, 2.0292
- Mérimée Reference
- PA36000019
In the heart of the Berry region, this mid-eighteenth-century manor house unfurls its sober elegance between the main courtyard and the French garden, with its three crow's-foot avenues and interiors featuring preserved period panelling.
History
Nestling in the gentle countryside of the Berry region, the Girards manor house in Saint-Aubin is a remarkably well-preserved example of a provincial manor house as it flourished in Berry during the Age of Enlightenment. Far from the glitz and glamour of the great aristocratic residences, it epitomises a middle way of architecture, elegant without ostentation, functional without dryness, where good taste is expressed in the measure and harmony of proportions. The composition of the estate is impressive for its clarity and coherence. The main building, flanked by two low wings forming a U-shape that opens onto the courtyard of honour, organises the space with classic clarity. To the east are the kitchens and private chapel; to the west, the domestic outbuildings - tack room, coachman's accommodation - bear witness to the meticulous organisation typical of rural estates managed by their owners. The farm buildings, grouped around their own courtyard, are a reminder that this residence was also the centre of a lively farming operation. The interior is full of surprises for the attentive visitor. The panelling in the ground floor sitting room, the chapel and a bedroom in the west wing has survived the centuries in an enviable state of preservation. The wood panelling, characteristic of the ornamental taste of 18th-century provincial architecture, combines sobriety and refinement, testifying to the care taken by the de l'Estang family in furnishing their residence. The garden, an extension of the dwelling, has retained its original lines, offering the continuity of vegetation that is so precious for understanding the spirit of the place. But it is perhaps on the north side that the setting reaches its climax: three long avenues in the shape of crow's feet, solemnly lined with trees, sweep out from the entrance gate towards the horizon of the fields, transforming the simple entrance to a rural estate into an architectural statement of classic ambition.
Architecture
The Girards house is a remarkably faithful illustration of the principles of 18th-century provincial classical domestic architecture. The sober, well-balanced main building is organised according to a characteristic bilateral symmetry: evenly-spaced windows, a hipped roof probably covered with flat tiles in accordance with local tradition, and a moulded cornice marking the separation between the walls and the roof. The two lower wings, set at right-angles to each other on either side of the main building, define an open main courtyard that is the real showcase of the estate. This tripartite layout - the east wing housing the kitchens and chapel, the central body reserved for the reception flats and family privacy, and the west wing devoted to the domestic outbuildings - reveals a perfectly hierarchical architectural programme. Inside, the surviving panelling is the residence's most precious ornament. The panelling in the ground floor drawing room, the chapel and a bedroom in the west wing testifies to the care taken with the interior decoration: moulded panels, meticulous door surrounds, probably ornate door tops, all in a range of colours and forms typical of the provincial Louis XV style. The private chapel, with its panelling, must have been both intimate and devout, typical of eighteenth-century noble piety. The landscaping of the estate deserves a special mention. On the north side, the three tree-lined avenues form a grandiose setting for the entrance, evoking - on a more modest scale - the compositions of Versailles or Chantilly. This motif, inherited from the tradition of royal and princely gardens, testifies to the aesthetic ambitions of the commissioner and his knowledge of the most prestigious projects of his time. On the south side, the French garden has retained its essential lines, providing a plant counterpoint to the architectural rigour of the buildings.
Related Figures
François Joseph de l'Estang, écuyer — commanditaire de la demeure actuelle au milieu du XVIIIe sièclePropriétaire du pavillon du XVIIe siècle — ancêtre ou prédécesseur non identifié à l'origine du premier édificeArchitecte local anonyme — concepteur présumé du plan et des élévations vers 1750
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Maison de maître située au lieudit "les Girards" located?
Maison de maître située au lieudit "les Girards" is located in Saint-Aubin, Indre department, Centre-Val de Loire region, France.
When was Maison de maître située au lieudit "les Girards" built?
Maison de maître située au lieudit "les Girards" dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Maison de maître située au lieudit "les Girards" open to visitors?
Maison de maître située au lieudit "les Girards" is currently closed to visitors.