Maison du 15e siècle, dite de Jeanne d'Arc
MonumentHidden Treasure
Maison du 15e siècle, dite de Jeanne d'Arc, located in Château-Renard (Loiret), 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
- Château-Renard, Loiret, Centre-Val de Loire
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.9323, 2.9275
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00098742
A jewel of flamboyant Gothic architecture in the Gâtinais region, this 15th-century timber-framed house fascinates visitors with its large corner post adorned with scales and medallions of figures, a rare example of medieval civil architecture in the Loiret region.
© Wikimedia Commons
History
In the heart of Château-Renard, a small town in the Gâtinais region of Orléans, stands one of the most remarkable timber-framed houses in the Loiret département. Known as the "House of Joan of Arc", this late 15th-century civil building is an exceptional example of flamboyant Gothic domestic architecture, at a time when France was just recovering from the devastation of the Hundred Years' War. What immediately sets this house apart from its contemporaries is the quality and density of its sculptural programme. Where many half-timbered buildings remain sober, the craftsmen who worked here covered each structural element with meticulous decoration: scales, pilasters with braces, hooks, fleurons, medallion figures and consoles with human figures. The large corner post, the centrepiece of the façade, is a showcase for all the virtuosity of the carpenters and sculptors of the late Middle Ages. A visit here is both intimate and surprising. From Rue de l'École, the eye is immediately drawn to the gable end of the building, which is finished with a projecting pointed roof, an unexpected silhouette more reminiscent of the art of cathedrals than that of bourgeois houses. Inside, the moulded exposed joist floors and the large beam on the first floor, adorned with coats of arms and a rose window depicting the sun, immerse visitors in the hushed, refined atmosphere of a well-to-do interior from the late 15th century. Château-Renard itself, an ancient fortified town overlooking the Gâtinais plain, is a pleasant place to stroll around this listed monument. The town's urban heritage, its ancient streets and the remains of its medieval castle make up a coherent itinerary for anyone interested in the history of the region between the Loire and Loing rivers. The Maison de Jeanne d'Arc is undoubtedly the architectural jewel in the crown.
Architecture
The Maison de Jeanne d'Arc belongs to the large family of late Flamboyant Gothic timber-framed civil buildings, characterised by the absence of corbelling - which distinguishes this residence from many half-timbered houses in Normandy or Alsace - and by the filling of the gaps in the roof structure with bricks, a local material that is abundant in the Gâtinais sedimentary basin. This wood/brick combination gives the façade an elegant two-tone character, alternating the warm brown of the beams with the red of the infill. The most spectacular feature is the large corner post, which is treated like a veritable architectural sculpture: it is entirely covered in a decoration of scales in relief, punctuated by small pilasters with braces topped with Gothic brackets and finials, and enlivened by human figures represented in medallions. This ornamental vocabulary, borrowed directly from the statuary of cathedral portals, illustrates the permeability between religious and civil architecture at the end of the Middle Ages. The upper storeys are emphasised by strong, horizontal moulded crosspieces that punctuate the façade with authority. The gable on the street is distinguished by its projecting ogival roof, a rare Gothic feature in civil architecture, supported by brackets decorated with sculpted figures. Inside, the floors with exposed moulded joists maintain the stylistic homogeneity of the building. The room on the first floor features a large crossbeam decorated with armorial bearings and a rosette depicting the sun, a heraldic and cosmological motif typical of the late 15th century. This interior reveals the care taken by the patrons to ensure the quality of each space, including the apparently private areas, a sign of a certain economic affluence.
Related Figures
Jeanne d'Arc — héroïne nationale dont le souvenir est attaché par la tradition à cette demeure, bien qu'elle soit morte avant sa constructionProsper Mérimée — inspecteur général des Monuments historiques, dont les travaux d'inventaire contribuèrent à la reconnaissance de ce type d'édifice civil médiévalLe commanditaire inconnu — marchand ou notable enrichi de Château-Renard, probable maître d'ouvrage de la demeure dans le dernier quart du XVe siècleLes charpentiers-sculpteurs anonymes — artisans virtuoses du gothique flamboyant à qui l'on doit le décor exceptionnel du poteau d'angle et des consoles
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Maison du 15e siècle, dite de Jeanne d'Arc located?
Maison du 15e siècle, dite de Jeanne d'Arc is located in Château-Renard, Loiret department, Centre-Val de Loire region, France.
When was Maison du 15e siècle, dite de Jeanne d'Arc built?
Maison du 15e siècle, dite de Jeanne d'Arc dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Maison du 15e siècle, dite de Jeanne d'Arc open to visitors?
Maison du 15e siècle, dite de Jeanne d'Arc is currently closed to visitors.