Maison dite de la Chancellerie
MonumentHidden Treasure
Maison dite de la Chancellerie, located in Loches (Indre-et-Loire), 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
- Loches, Indre-et-Loire, Centre-Val de Loire
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.1278, 0.9973
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00097834
The architectural jewel of Loches, the Maison de la Chancellerie combines medieval fortifications with a Renaissance façade of rare boldness circa 1550, an exceptional example of Loire civil architecture.
© Wikimedia Commons
History
In the heart of the royal city of Loches, the Maison de la Chancellerie stands out as one of the most unusual civil buildings in Indre-et-Loire. Leaning against the medieval ramparts, from which it has literally absorbed part of the substance, it embodies several centuries of urban history, from the late Gothic fortification to the classical private mansion, via a Renaissance façade that caused an architectural revolution when it was completed around 1551. What makes the Chancellery truly unique is this exceptional layering of times and styles. You can read in the layers of a stone book the gradual transformation of a fortress into a prestigious residence. The polygonal stair tower nestling in the corner of the L-shaped floor plan, the remains of the medieval parapet walk in the south-west corner, the flanking tower of the town wall looming over the courtyard - all these features give the building a historical density rarely seen in civilian housing in the Loire Valley. The visit is a surprisingly intimate experience. Far from the crowds of the great royal châteaux nearby, the Chancellery invites you to come face-to-face with the architecture of the provincial Renaissance, which appropriated Italian innovations and translated them into a resolutely innovative French language. The street façade, remodelled in 1550, is in itself a manifesto of this architectural modernity: its layout, proportions and sculpted details bear witness to a technical mastery and aesthetic ambition worthy of the greatest residences in the Loire Valley. The urban setting of Loches further enhances the charm of this discovery. Embedded in the tightly woven fabric of the medieval town, within sight of the towers of the royal castle and the collegiate church of Saint-Ours, the Chancellery is the perfect place to take a stroll through the walled city, one of the best preserved in France.
Architecture
The Maison de la Chancellerie is characterised by its original L-shaped plan, to which the 17th-century additions added an enclosed courtyard layout. The building is structured around several clearly visible parts: the main building on the street, dominated by the Renaissance façade dating from 1550; the polygonal stair tower at the inner corner, heir to the late Gothic vocabulary of the late 15th century; and the 17th-century classical buildings that structure the courtyard. The street façade is the architectural highlight of the complex. Built around 1550-1551, it follows in the tradition of facades with superimposed orders imported from Italy, but translated with a typically French inventiveness. The rhythmic composition of the bays, the treatment of the window surrounds and the sculpted details of the pilasters and entablatures reveal an in-depth knowledge of the Renaissance vocabulary, of a quality that far exceeds what one would expect from a provincial building site. The local tufa stone, blonde and easy to work, is the material of choice for this façade, as it is for the vast majority of civil monuments in the region. In the south-west corner, the remains of the medieval fortifications are an architectural feature in their own right: the flanking tower of the town rampart and the remains of the parapet walk provide valuable evidence of the defensive system of medieval Loches. Their integration into private plots illustrates the process of reappropriation of collective military infrastructures by middle-class housing, a characteristic of French towns at the end of the Middle Ages.
Related Figures
Officiers royaux de Loches (XVe-XVIe siècle) — commanditaires présumés de l'édifice primitif et de la façade RenaissanceArchitecte anonyme de la façade de 1550 — maître d'œuvre d'une réalisation qualifiée de novatrice pour l'architecture française vers 1551Louis XI — roi de France qui fit de Loches l'une de ses résidences favorites, dynamiseur du milieu social ayant produit la ChancellerieCharles VII — roi dont la cour à Loches créa le terreau de prospérité des notables locauxAgnès Sorel — favorite royale liée à Loches, figure emblématique du milieu de cour qui irrigua la vie urbaine et architecturale de la ville
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Maison dite de la Chancellerie located?
Maison dite de la Chancellerie is located in Loches, Indre-et-Loire department, Centre-Val de Loire region, France.
When was Maison dite de la Chancellerie built?
Maison dite de la Chancellerie dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Maison dite de la Chancellerie open to visitors?
Maison dite de la Chancellerie is currently closed to visitors.