Maison du 16e siècle
MonumentHidden Treasure
Maison du 16e siècle, located in Montferrand-du-Périgord (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
- Montferrand-du-Périgord, Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 44.7490, 0.8658
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00082691
At the heart of medieval Périgord, this 16th-century house with a wooden gallery reveals the refinement of Périgourdine civil architecture: moulded mullioned windows and a pointed gable of rare elegance.
History
Nestling in the market town of Montferrand-du-Périgord, one of the most beautiful villages in the Périgord Noir, this 16th-century house is an exceptional example of Renaissance civil architecture in a rural setting. Far from the grand seigneurial residences that often attract the attention of visitors, it embodies with touching sobriety the art of building of the well-to-do craftsmen and merchants who animated these prosperous towns at the dawn of the modern era. What immediately sets this residence apart is the wooden gallery that extends over the ground floor - an architectural feature that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing, inherited from the medieval covered marketplaces of the Périgord region. This gallery once provided a sheltered space for commercial or craft activities, while giving the façade a picturesque silhouette that time has not erased. The moulded mullioned windows bear witness to the particular care taken with the ornamentation, revealing the influence of the nascent Renaissance that spread from the large towns to the rural villages of Périgord. The pointed gable, typical of local buildings from this period, creates a dynamic roof line crowned by honey-coloured canal tiles, emblematic of the architectural landscape of south-western France. To visit this house is to immerse yourself in the authentic atmosphere of an unspoilt Périgord village. Montferrand-du-Périgord, listed as one of the most beautiful villages in France, offers an incomparable setting: cobbled streets, a medieval market hall, a Romanesque chapel - all elements that make up a coherent and moving picture. The gallery house is a key piece in an architectural jigsaw puzzle of rare coherence. Lovers of vernacular architecture, photographers in search of the golden light on the blonde stone, and walkers attentive to detail will find here a reward that lives up to their expectations. This discreet monument, listed as a Monument Historique since 1948, is a reminder that France's heritage lies not only in its châteaux and cathedrals, but also in these modest masterpieces of everyday life.
Architecture
The architectural composition of this house is typical of 16th-century Périgord middle-class housing, combining elements of medieval tradition with Renaissance-inspired ornamentation. Its most spectacular feature is the wooden gallery overhanging the ground floor: supported by sculpted posts or brackets, this overhang creates a covered space on the façade that once protected the activities of the house from the elements. This feature, common in the towns and market towns of the south-west, is becoming rarer nowadays and gives the building an instantly recognisable silhouette in the built fabric of the village. The second remarkable architectural feature is the moulded mullioned windows. Carved from pale Périgord limestone, they are subdivided by stone lattices whose cavet or doucine profiles bear witness to the skills of local stonemasons in contact with the new ornamental forms of the French Renaissance. These well-balanced openings add rhythm and light to the facade, while at the same time highlighting the architectural quality of the house. The pointed gable, characteristic of Périgord rural buildings from this period, structures the silhouette of the house with an assertive verticality. The roof, covered in canal tiles - half-cylindrical tiles inherited from the Roman tegula and ubiquitous in southern French architecture - features the warm hues ranging from creamy beige to orange-ochre that make Périgord roofs so poetic. The limestone ashlar, quarried locally, gives the whole a unity of material and colour that blends perfectly with the natural landscape of the region.
Related Figures
Maîtres maçons périgourdins du XVIe siècle, artisans anonymes des galeries à bois des bourgs du Périgord noirFrançois Ier, roi de France (1515-1547), dont le règne diffusa l'esthétique Renaissance dans les provinces françaisesPropriétaires bourgeois et marchands du bourg de Montferrand, bâtisseurs présumés de la demeure au XVIe siècleInspecteurs des Monuments Historiques de 1948, responsables de la reconnaissance et de la protection de l'édifice
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Maison du 16e siècle located?
Maison du 16e siècle is located in Montferrand-du-Périgord, Dordogne department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, France.
When was Maison du 16e siècle built?
Maison du 16e siècle dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Maison du 16e siècle open to visitors?
Maison du 16e siècle is currently closed to visitors.
