Maison dite de l'Argentier
Monument
Maison dite de l'Argentier, located in Lillers (Pas-de-Calais), 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
- Lillers, Pas-de-Calais, Hauts-de-France
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 50.5641, 2.4803
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00108335
In the heart of Lillers, this middle-class residence dating from the second quarter of the 17th century epitomises the sober elegance of the Louis XIII style, with its rhythmic brick and stone bays and remarkably homogeneous facade.
History
The Maison de l'Argentier stands out discreetly in the urban fabric of Lillers as one of the rare architectural witnesses to the prosperity of the Artois region's craftsmen and merchants at the time of Louis XIII. Built in the second quarter of the 17th century, it belongs to that category of notable houses which, while not rivalling the grand mansions of the provincial capitals, reveal undeniable architectural care and a mastery of the formal codes of the period. What makes this residence so special is precisely the way it blends into the Flemish cityscape: the façade, built in the typical brick-and-stone alternation so dear to the region's builders, has a rigorous layout that was favoured by the large middle-class residences of the Artesian region at the time. Neither ostentatious nor austere, it embodies the ideal of measured architecture, halfway between the Flemish influences of the north and the Parisian academicism that was beginning to permeate the provinces. A visit to the Maison de l'Argentier is like stepping back in time and perceiving, through the proportions of its windows and the meticulous detailing of its walls, the life of a provincial nobleman in the nascent Grand Siècle. The building is best viewed from the street, where the façade reveals its secrets to those who take the time to examine the details: moulded cornices, ashlar surrounds, steeply pitched roof with characteristic chimney stacks. The setting of Lillers adds to the interest of the visit: this town in the Pas-de-Calais region has several remarkable layers of heritage, including the collegiate church of Saint-Omer, and offers the curious walker a coherent itinerary through the Flemish and Artesian architecture of the 16th and 17th centuries. The Maison de l'Argentier is one of the most precious landmarks, listed as a Historic Monument since 1976.
Architecture
The Maison de l'Argentier belongs to the repertoire of Louis XIII-style civil architecture in the Artois region, characterised by the use of brick and ashlar. This combination of materials, deeply rooted in the building tradition of the southern Netherlands, gives the façade an elegant two-tone appearance: brick, fired in the many tile factories of the Artesian plain, forms the infill of the bays, while stone - probably extracted from limestone quarries in the Saint-Omer or Arras region - highlights the window surrounds, quoins and decorative elements. The facade features a vertical composition of regular bays, typical of the houses of prominent people in the early 17th century in the region. The windows, with mullions or transoms depending on the floor, are framed by carefully dressed ashlar pedestals and lintels. The steeply pitched roof, typical of northern France and the former Netherlands, was originally covered in slate, a prestigious material that distinguished the bourgeois residence from the tiled common house. The layout of the façade reveals a knowledge of the principles of classical composition, without resorting to the apparatus of ancient orders: the rigour of the central axis, the regularity of the bays and the discretion of the ornamentation all reflect an aesthetic of moderation typical of the provincial classicism of the reign of Louis XIII. Brick chimney stacks, topped by carved stone fireplaces, complete the silhouette characteristic of this type of building.
Related Figures
L'argentier fondateur (anonyme) — officier financier artésien, commanditaire probable de la demeure vers 1630-1645Les chanoines et officiers seigneuriaux de Lillers — milieu social dont sont issus les premiers habitants de la demeureMaîtres maçons artésiens du XVIIe siècle — bâtisseurs anonymes formés à la tradition brique-pierre des anciens Pays-Bas espagnolsInspecteurs des Monuments Historiques — auteurs du dossier d'inscription de 1976 ayant contribué à la sauvegarde de l'édifice
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Maison dite de l'Argentier located?
Maison dite de l'Argentier is located in Lillers, Pas-de-Calais department, Hauts-de-France region, France.
When was Maison dite de l'Argentier built?
Maison dite de l'Argentier dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Maison dite de l'Argentier open to visitors?
Maison dite de l'Argentier is currently closed to visitors.