Maison Houet, dite maison aux Raisins
MonumentHidden Treasure
Maison Houet, dite maison aux Raisins, located in Bourges (Cher), 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
- Bourges, Cher, Centre-Val de Loire
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.0857, 2.3981
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00096716
A jewel of civil Gothic architecture in the Berry region, the Maison aux Raisins stands in the heart of Bourges, its half-timbered walls carved with fruit and animals - an exceptional example of 15th-century bourgeois art.
History
Turning down a street in the old town of Bourges, Maison Houet - also known as Maison aux Raisins - stands out like a page from a medieval illuminated book transplanted into stone and wood. With its diamond-patterned timber-framed walls and finely carved brackets featuring bunches of grapes, fleshy fruit and fanciful animals, it is the perfect embodiment of the opulence and refinement of the great bourgeois families of Berry at the end of the Middle Ages. When you look at this façade, you can see why Bourges was one of the most prosperous cities in the kingdom of France. What makes the Maison aux Raisins truly unique is the coherence of its ornamental programme. The sculptures are more than mere ornaments: they constitute a veritable symbolic vocabulary in which the abundance of vines - the wealth of Berry - converses with a bestiary evoking both Christian morality and bourgeois pride. Few 15th-century timber-framed houses have retained such a density of decoration on their facades. The first thing you need to see is the exterior: the street façade reveals its two storeys crowned by an attic, punctuated by cross windows and punctuated by the diamond-shaped motifs typical of late Gothic civil architecture. The courtyard entrance door, set back slightly to the right of the façade, is the highlight of the show: richly sculpted, it displays all the skill of the carpenters and sculptors from Bruges. Take the time to look up at the brackets and windchests to spot every motif. Located in the heart of the historic centre of Bourges, just a stone's throw from Saint-Etienne's Cathedral - a Gothic masterpiece and UNESCO World Heritage Site - the building is part of a remarkably well-preserved medieval quarter. A stroll through this area offers a succession of architectural discoveries, from the Hôtel Jacques-Cœur to the many timber-framed houses for which the town is famous.
Architecture
The Maison aux Raisins is a remarkable example of late Gothic timber-framed civil architecture, the dominant technique in towns in central France in the late Middle Ages. The building has a ground floor, two square storeys and an attic, in the vertical style typical of bourgeois town houses. The frame is made entirely of timber-framed panels arranged in a diamond grid - a typical Berruyer Gothic motif - which gives the façade its elegant geometric rhythm. The cross-headed windows, two per storey, fit neatly into this interlacing pattern of carved wood. The carved decoration is the real highlight of the building. The post brackets and windchest moulding are adorned with bunches of grapes, various fruits and a fanciful bestiary combining real animals and imaginary creatures. This decorative programme, which runs through both the street façade and the courtyard entrance door, bears witness to a consummate mastery of wood carving and an iconographic vocabulary inherited from the flamboyant Gothic tradition. The courtyard entrance door, on the right-hand side of the façade, is the most richly ornamented of all, and deserves careful observation. The ground floor was originally occupied by a shop, testifying to the dual function - commercial and residential - of these large medieval bourgeois residences. The interiors, remodelled in the 18th century, have lost some of their medieval character, but the overall structure has remained intact, allowing the original architectural style to be clearly identified.
Related Figures
Famille Houet — notables berruyers du XVe siècle, commanditaires de la maison, anoblis par l'échevinage de BourgesÉmile Boeswillwald — architecte en chef des Monuments Historiques, auteur de la restauration après l'incendie de 1915Jacques Cœur — grand argentier du roi, figure tutélaire de la bourgeoisie berruyer du XVe siècle, dont l'hôtel voisin illustre le même essor
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Maison Houet, dite maison aux Raisins located?
Maison Houet, dite maison aux Raisins is located in Bourges, Cher department, Centre-Val de Loire region, France.
When was Maison Houet, dite maison aux Raisins built?
Maison Houet, dite maison aux Raisins dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Maison Houet, dite maison aux Raisins open to visitors?
Maison Houet, dite maison aux Raisins is currently closed to visitors.