Maison Ezemar
MonumentHidden Treasure
Maison Ezemar, located in Les Esseintes (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
- Les Esseintes, Gironde, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 44.6070, -0.0649
- Mérimée Reference
- PA33000087
Tucked away in the vineyards of Gironde, Maison Ezemar's circular tower hides a rare treasure: a panoramic wallpaper entitled "The Ruins of Rome", a masterpiece of the Dufour manufacture, unfurling 24 strips of antique views in an intimate setting.
History
In the heart of the commune of Les Esseintes, in the Gironde, Maison Ezemar belongs to that category of rural bourgeois homes that reserve the most unexpected surprises for their visitors. From the outside, there is nothing to betray the extraordinary interior décor that lies dormant in the circular tower attached to the garden façade at the very beginning of the 19th century. Yet it is here that one of the best-preserved sets of panoramic wallpaper in the whole of the Aquitaine region is hidden. What makes Maison Ezemar absolutely unique is the intact presence of this panoramic "The Ruins of Rome", attributed to the famous Parisian manufacturer Dufour, a pioneer of the genre. Comprising twenty-four numbered strips, organised into four large panels punctuated by the two doors leading into the circular room, this enveloping décor takes the viewer on an imaginary journey through the remains of Roman antiquity - broken columns, triumphal arches, half-collapsed temples bathed in the melancholy light characteristic of the Directoire taste. The experience of visiting is that of an almost confidential discovery: you enter a sober-looking residence, then the tower opens up like a cabinet of curiosities dressed in paper. The roundness of the room amplifies the immersive dimension of the panorama, giving the impression of being literally surrounded by the Roman ruins. The human scale of the space gives this work an intimacy that large salons cannot offer. The surrounding countryside, typical of the Gironde countryside between vineyards and bocage, reinforces the striking contrast between the modesty of the rural building and the sophistication of its interior décor. This paradox is itself a fascinating testament to the cultural ambitions of a provincial bourgeoisie at the turn of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, eager to adopt Parisian fashions even in its rural retreats.
Architecture
Maison Ezemar is a rectangular dwelling typical of 18th-century rural middle-class homes in Gironde, with sober volumes and a measured elevation. The masonry, probably in local limestone in keeping with the building tradition of the Bordeaux region, is in keeping with the discreet classicism typical of provincial buildings of the period. The facades, free of excessive ornamentation, reflect the restraint of a home designed to combine comfort and dignity. The major addition is the circular tower erected in 1805-1806 against the garden façade. This rotunda, modest in size but highly symbolic, uses the neoclassical vocabulary in vogue at the time: the cylindrical shape, borrowed from the temples of Antiquity and English garden pavilions, lends the whole a touch of learned elegance. It is inside this tower that the real masterpiece is revealed: the panoramic wallpaper in twenty-four numbered strips, organised in four continuous panels separated by the two access doors. The arrangement of the strips skilfully exploits the circularity of the room, creating an all-enveloping effect typical of the panoramic genre. The soft colours, the compositions of Roman ruins bathed in southern light and the clever perspectives make this interior a work of art in its own right, halfway between decorative painting and trompe-l'œil.
Related Figures
Joseph Dufour — fondateur de la manufacture Dufour, producteurteur du papier peint panoramique « Les Ruines de Rome »Propriétaire anonyme de 1805-1806 — commanditaire de la tour circulaire et du décor panoramiqueFamille Ezemar — famille éponyme vraisemblablement liée à l'histoire ancienne de la demeure
Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Maison Ezemar located?
Maison Ezemar is located in Les Esseintes, Gironde department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, France.
When was Maison Ezemar built?
Maison Ezemar dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Maison Ezemar open to visitors?
Maison Ezemar is currently closed to visitors.