Maison dite du Pilier
MonumentHidden Treasure
Maison dite du Pilier, located in Chinon (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
- Chinon, Indre-et-Loire, Centre-Val de Loire
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.1675, 0.2434
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00097674
Disappeared in 1975, Chinon's Maison du Pilier survives only in one exceptional fragment: a 15th-century carved corner pillar, the mute guardian of a stoning of Saint Stephen, now preserved in the Musée du Vieux-Chinon.
© Wikimedia Commons
History
The Maison du Pilier belongs to this category of monuments whose physical disappearance does not entirely erase their memory. Destroyed in 1975, all that remains of the house today is one of its most precious elements: a carved corner pillar that survived the dismantling and is now carefully preserved in the Musée des Amis du Vieux-Chinon. This fragment, far from being an insignificant relic, provides first-hand evidence of the wealth of civil architecture in Chinon at the end of the Middle Ages. In Chinon, a town whose medieval fabric remains one of the best preserved in Touraine, the Maison du Pilier was part of a well-established architectural tradition: that of moulded timber-framed houses, whose facades combined the solidity of half-timbering with the delicacy of brick infill. This type of construction, common in the merchant towns of the Loire Valley in the 15th century, reflected the prosperity of the bourgeoisie and a strong taste for sculpted decoration. The real jewel in the crown of this now-vanished complex is this corner post decorated with a scene of the stoning of Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr. The sculpture, remarkably well-crafted for a private dwelling, reveals the decorative ambitions of the patron and the mastery of the local craftsmen. Religious representations on corner posts were common in medieval France, placing the home under divine protection while displaying the piety - and wealth - of the owner. Today, visitors to 44 rue Haute Saint-Maurice can rediscover this fragment of history. The Musée des Amis du Vieux-Chinon, housed in the magnificent Hôtel des États Généraux, where the famous meeting between Charles VII and Joan of Arc took place in 1428, provides an ideal setting for this orphaned pillar. Bringing the two buildings together - one gone, the other still standing - invites us to reflect on the fragility of urban heritage and the accidents of history.
Architecture
The Maison du Pilier was part of the tradition of moulded timber-framed houses typical of 15th-century civil architecture in the Loire Valley. Its façade combined a framework of carefully moulded wooden posts and runners with brick infill, a constructional formula that combined economy of means with meticulous aesthetics. The mouldings on the structural elements - mouldings, cavet, groove - were evidence of a decorative concern that distinguished well-to-do houses from more modest buildings. The most remarkable feature of the building was its corner post, which marked the junction of the two facades at the corner of the street. In French medieval architecture, these corner posts were a prime location for decorative and devotional sculpture. The one at the Maison du Pilier featured a scene of the stoning of Saint Stephen of remarkable sculptural quality, with an expressive rendering of the figures and a balanced composition despite the limited format of the support. The exact dimensions of the house are not known, but Chinon's urban morphology - narrow streets, medieval plots in strips - suggests a modestly wide façade, probably between five and eight metres, with several corbelled levels. This type of construction, common in medieval French towns, maximised living space on the upper floors while freeing up floor space for commercial or craft activities.
Related Figures
Saint Étienne — premier martyr chrétien, dont la lapidation est représentée sur le pilier sculptéLes artisans charpentiers et sculpteurs chinonais du XVe siècle, auteurs de la façade et du pilierLes membres de l'association des Amis du Vieux-Chinon, sauveurs du pilier lors de la démolition de 1975André Malraux — ministre des Affaires culturelles (1959-1969), dont la politique patrimoniale arriva trop tard pour sauver la maisonCharles VII — roi de France dont la présence à Chinon au XVe siècle anima la vie urbaine et favorisa la reconstruction de la ville
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Maison dite du Pilier located?
Maison dite du Pilier is located in Chinon, Indre-et-Loire department, Centre-Val de Loire region, France.
When was Maison dite du Pilier built?
Maison dite du Pilier dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Maison dite du Pilier open to visitors?
Maison dite du Pilier is currently closed to visitors.