Maison dite maison d'Anne de Dautrery
MonumentHidden Treasure
Maison dite maison d'Anne de Dautrery, located in Sarlat-la-Canéda (Dordogne), 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
- Sarlat-la-Canéda, Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 44.8896, 1.2169
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00082975
A late Gothic jewel of old Sarlat, the house known as the maison d'Anne de Dautrery reveals a 15th-century façade adorned with cruciform mullions and a mysterious sculpted leopard, a silent witness to the English occupation.
History
In the heart of the old town of Sarlat, in this labyrinth of narrow streets built of blonde Périgord stone, the house known as the Anne de Dautrery house is one of those residences that makes you stop and think. Its remarkably well-preserved 15th-century facade has stood the test of time in eloquent silence: here, the cruciform mullioned windows have not succumbed to fashion or the ravages of time. What makes this residence truly unique is the exceptional consistency of its conservation. Where so many medieval mansions have been altered through inheritance, fashion and revolution, this one has retained its formal integrity: the large arcades on the ground floor, the basket-handle door panelling finely chiselled with twigs, and above all the stone staircase on a square plan, alternating Doric and Ionic columns, a veritable decorative feat at the dawn of the Renaissance. A visit here is like a journey through time. You can see the transition from the late Middle Ages to the first classical influences: the Doric columns on the first floor give way to Ionic columns on the second, as if the building itself were telling the story, step by step, of the cultural transition from the fifteenth to the sixteenth century. The detail on the door, decorated with the intertwined twigs typical of the Sarlat region, refers to a whole repertoire of regional ornamentation that is all too often overlooked. The setting is even more appealing: set in the dense fabric of Sarlat-la-Canéda, on the outskirts of Saint-Sacerdos cathedral, where Dame Anne de Dautrery herself lies in a tomb, the building is part of one of the best-preserved medieval centres in France. The morning light, gilded by the Sarlat limestone, magnifies each moulding and reveals the sculpted reliefs with photographic precision.
Architecture
The façade of Anne de Dautrery's house is a remarkable example of late 15th-century Perigordian civil Gothic. It features windows with moulded stone frames and cruciform mullions, typical of the late Gothic style in an urban setting. These cross mullions, dividing each bay into four compartments, are typical of the prestigious civil architecture of the region, and their perfect preservation makes them an exceptionally legible architectural document. The large arcade on the ground floor, which opens onto the street, is reminiscent of the commercial or reception function that characterised the ground floors of medieval middle-class homes in the Sarlat region. The sculpted leopard at the start of the gable railing is the rarest and most symbolically charged element of the façade. The interior reveals an even more subtle architecture. The stone staircase, square in plan, is a skilful composition: it is organised around columns and arches that form a string course, setting out a classical ornamental programme in two distinct registers - Doric columns on the first floor, Ionic columns on the second. This vertical progression of ancient orders demonstrates a knowledge, albeit indirect, of the Vitruvian vocabulary, introduced to France by Italian artists and theoreticians at the dawn of the Renaissance. This is one of the most ingenious features of the building, which sets it apart from the surrounding purely Gothic structures. The basket-handle door panelling completes this architectural portrait. Adorned with a motif of intertwined twigs, it illustrates the local decorative repertoire of the early 16th century, specific to the Sarlat region, and bears precious witness to the practices of the region's carpenters and sculptors during this period of stylistic transition.
Related Figures
Anne de Dautrery — noble dame sarladaise, propriétaire éponyme de la demeure, inhumée dans un enfeu de la cathédrale Saint-SacerdosLes maîtres d'œuvre anonymes du XVe siècle — bâtisseurs de la façade à meneaux cruciformes, possiblement actifs sous domination anglaiseLes artisans menuisiers sarladais du début XVIe siècle — auteurs de la boiserie à branchettes de la porte en anse de panierLes sculpteurs du léopard — tailleurs de pierre dont l'œuvre héraldique témoigne de l'empreinte Plantagenêt dans le Périgord
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Maison dite maison d'Anne de Dautrery located?
Maison dite maison d'Anne de Dautrery is located in Sarlat-la-Canéda, Dordogne department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, France.
When was Maison dite maison d'Anne de Dautrery built?
Maison dite maison d'Anne de Dautrery dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Maison dite maison d'Anne de Dautrery open to visitors?
Maison dite maison d'Anne de Dautrery is currently closed to visitors.
