Maison du 18e siècle
MonumentHidden Treasure
Maison du 18e siècle, 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
- 44.8886, 1.2164
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00082986
In the heart of Sarlat-la-Canéda, this elegant 18th-century residence boasts small-paned Louis XV windows and a rare lauze roof, a refined testament to the Périgord art of living.
History
Nestling in the gilded labyrinth of Sarlat-la-Canéda's narrow streets, this beautiful 18th-century residence alone embodies the discreet grace of a town that boasts some of the most remarkable medieval and Renaissance architecture in France. Built of ashlar limestone, this jewel of Sarlat's civil architecture stands shoulder to shoulder with its illustrious neighbours without trying to overshadow them, preferring subtlety to ostentation. What makes this house truly singular is the harmonious superimposition of two architectural languages: the bourgeois nobility of the Louis XV-style small-paned windows, which pour soft, intimate light into the rooms, and the ancestral rusticity of the lauze roof, the heavy slabs of grey-blue limestone that have covered the roofs of Périgord for centuries. This marriage between the rocaille refinement of the Age of Enlightenment and the local building tradition is a rare and precious architectural signature. The attention to sculpted detail, particularly visible in the elaborate dormer window that crowns the façade, reveals the handiwork of local craftsmen who mastered both the decorative vocabulary of the grand royal style and the skills handed down from generation to generation in the workshops of the Sarladais region. Each stone bears the memory of a prosperous era for the Périgord bourgeoisie. To visit this residence is to immerse yourself in the intimate Sarlat, the one you discover by moving slightly away from the main tourist routes. The attentive visitor will find an invitation to slow down, look up and decipher in every detail of the façade the silent story of a cultured and well-to-do provincial society, proud of its roots yet open to the aesthetic currents of 18th-century Paris.
Architecture
The house is distinguished by its highly coherent 18th-century Périgord-style architecture. Built entirely of ashlar limestone, the facade is sober and orderly, typical of the bourgeois aesthetic of the period, where the quality of the brickwork bears witness to the care taken in its construction. The small-paned windows, characteristic of the Louis XV style, give the facade an elegant rhythm and a particular depth of light: their fine mullions and divided-glazing evoke the production of master glassmakers and joiners in Périgord during the Age of Enlightenment. The most remarkable feature of the composition is undoubtedly the lauze roof, covered with these thick, heavy limestone slabs that are an ancestral technique in Périgord building. Much heavier than a slate or tile roof, the lauze roof requires robust frameworks and thick walls, giving the building a massive presence rooted in the ground. This building tradition, inherited from the Middle Ages, was still used in Sarlat buildings in the 18th century, testifying to the attachment of local builders to their regional materials and know-how. The sculpted dormer window in the roof slope is the main decorative feature of the building. Carved in a Rococo or late classical ornamental style, it adds a touch of chiselled elegance to the façade, contrasting delicately with the rusticity of the surrounding slate. The result is a typically Périgord architectural balance, in which the local limestone is used with technical mastery and a strong sense of decoration.
Related Figures
Maçons et tailleurs de pierre sarladais du XVIIIe siècle, artisans anonymes de la tradition constructive périgourdineBourgeoisie de robe sarladaise, commanditaires probables de la demeure au XVIIIe siècleAndré Malraux, ministre de la Culture, dont la loi de 1962 sur les secteurs sauvegardés renforça la protection du patrimoine sarladaisÉtienne de La Boétie, figure tutélaire de Sarlat, illustrant le prestige intellectuel de la cité périgourdine héritée des siècles précédents
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Maison du 18e siècle located?
Maison du 18e siècle is located in Sarlat-la-Canéda, Dordogne department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, France.
When was Maison du 18e siècle built?
Maison du 18e siècle dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Maison du 18e siècle open to visitors?
Maison du 18e siècle is currently closed to visitors.
