Maison dite Relais Henri IV
MonumentHidden Treasure
Maison dite Relais Henri IV, located in Saint-Macaire (Gironde), 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-Macaire, Gironde, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 44.5652, -0.2248
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00083768
The Renaissance gem of Saint-Macaire, this 16th-century coaching inn boasts a facade with pilasters, cruciform mullions and an octagonal turret, and according to legend was frequented by Henri IV himself.
History
Nestling in the heart of Saint-Macaire, one of the finest medieval bastides in the Bordeaux region, the house known as Relais Henri IV is an exceptional example of Renaissance civil architecture in the Gironde. Listed as a Historic Monument since 1973, it is an elegant embodiment of this transitional period, when the French art of building enthusiastically absorbed lessons from Italy, without abandoning its own traditions. Visitors are immediately struck by the coherence and rigour of the façade's composition. Divided into three horizontal registers underlined by light cornices, it displays an ornamental vocabulary characteristic of provincial mannerism: a semi-circular door framed by pilasters, cruciform mullioned windows embellished with sculpted brackets, all part of a harmonious dialogue between verticality and horizontality. The mastery of proportions reveals the hand of a well-informed builder, aware of the artistic trends of his time. The arched passageway running along the façade gives the building an almost urban, mercantile feel, reminiscent of the covered marketplaces of the surrounding fortified towns. This is where we discover the real soul of the building: an unspoilt inner courtyard, where an octagonal staircase turret gracefully rises, a masterpiece of architectural sobriety that joins the main building and a wing on the other side. A visit to this building, ideally combined with a stroll through the narrow streets of Saint-Macaire and its medieval ramparts, offers a rare insight into the atmosphere of a Renaissance town in Aquitaine. Photographers and architecture enthusiasts will find the play of light on the blonde stone facade an inexhaustible source of inspiration, especially in the golden hours of the morning or late afternoon.
Architecture
The facade of the building is arranged in three horizontal registers, bordered by slight cornices that give the whole a classical rhythm. On the ground floor, a semicircular door occupies the centre of the composition: it is flanked by two pilasters that receive the arch's projections, and framed by two cruciform mullioned windows adorned with sculpted clasps - an ornamental motif characteristic of the provincial Mannerist Renaissance. The whole structure opens onto a passageway under arches, a typical feature of covered towns in the south-west, which links the building to the public space while providing shelter for passers-by. The inner courtyard is the other major architectural feature. It features an elegant octagonal staircase turret, a geometrical shape favoured during the Renaissance for its plasticity and its ability to articulate several built volumes. This turret forms the junction between the main building and a return wing, soberly resolving an awkward angle. The L-shaped ground plan thus formed is typical of regional middle-class residences of the period. The materials used are probably local limestone, which is abundant in the Bordeaux region and can be finely cut to create ornamental features. The construction resembles 16th-century Aquitaine masonry techniques, combining careful bonding on the facade with more massive structures at the heart of the building. The question of an original additional storey, raised by specialists, suggests that the building may have been even more imposing when it was built, before any subsequent alterations.
Related Figures
Henri IV, roi de France et de Navarre — supposé avoir séjourné dans l'édifice lors de ses passages en GuyenneHenri de Navarre (avant son accession au trône) — figure dominante du Sud-Ouest lors des guerres de ReligionCommanditaire inconnu — riche bourgeois ou officier royal de la seconde moitié du XVIe siècleMarguerite de Valois — épouse d'Henri IV, qui résida elle aussi en Guyenne durant les années 1570-1580Les édiles de Saint-Macaire — responsables de la conservation du patrimoine ayant soutenu le classement de 1973
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Maison dite Relais Henri IV located?
Maison dite Relais Henri IV is located in Saint-Macaire, Gironde department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, France.
When was Maison dite Relais Henri IV built?
Maison dite Relais Henri IV dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Maison dite Relais Henri IV open to visitors?
Maison dite Relais Henri IV is currently closed to visitors.