Maison
Monument
Maison, located in Lille (Nord), 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
- Lille, Nord, Hauts-de-France
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 50.6407, 3.0643
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00107696
In the heart of Old Lille, this listed building reveals the splendour of Flemish civil architecture, with its brick and bluestone façade, stepped gables and Baroque ornamentation typical of the 17th and 18th centuries.
History
In the labyrinth of cobbled streets in Old Lille, some houses seem to have survived the centuries without losing an ounce of their superb appearance. This house, listed as a Historic Monument since 1970, is one of the most striking examples: civil architecture that condenses three centuries of Flemish urban history in its carefully proportioned stones and bricks. What immediately sets this house apart from the surrounding built fabric is the skilful balance between the robustness of the northern building tradition - the red brick so characteristic of Flanders - and the decorative sophistication inherited from the Spanish Netherlands. The facades of these Lille homes combine brick and bluish limestone in a play of chromatic and textural contrasts that is unique to this region. Visiting the buildings from the street is in itself a history lesson: you can read on the stone the succession of owners and the merchant and bourgeois fortunes that made Lille prosper from the 17th to the 19th century. Every sculpted detail - moulded window frames, ornate keystones, modillion cornices - bears witness to the care taken by craftsmen whose skills are now recognised nationwide. Vieux-Lille is one of the best-preserved areas of Flemish Baroque civil architecture in Europe. A stroll through this district is like walking through an open-air museum, with the listed building as its centrepiece. Photographers, art historians and simple walkers will find plenty to marvel at, whatever the season or time of day.
Architecture
The architecture of this residence is in the tradition of Flemish bourgeois houses of the 17th and 18th centuries, characterised by the combination of red brick and bluish limestone quarried in Hainaut. The narrow, high street façade, in keeping with Flemish urban custom, is probably crowned by a scrolled or stepped gable - a formal signature of this type of construction - which gives the building its instantly recognisable silhouette in the Old Lille landscape. The bays are carefully arranged, with mullioned or transomed windows on the lower levels, and moulded stone surrounds with keystones carved with mascarons or floral motifs. The steeply-pitched roof is covered in glazed pantiles, allowing the frequent northern rains to drain off efficiently. A bluestone base protects the brickwork from rising damp, a technical detail as much as an aesthetic one. The interior, organised according to the deep plan typical of Flemish town houses, features reception areas at the front and service rooms and backrooms towards the back of the plot. The interior decor - panelling, marble or carved limestone fireplaces, oak parquet floors - testifies to the high standards of the patrons, who were keen to display their social standing in every detail of their home.
Related Figures
Louis XIV — dont la conquête de Lille en 1667 ouvre l'ère de prospérité qui favorise la construction de ce type de demeures bourgeoisesVauban — ingénieur militaire qui fortifie Lille après 1667 et accompagne la transformation urbaine de la citéNégociants drapiers lillois du XVIIe siècle — commanditaires probables de la demeure, représentants de la bourgeoisie marchande flamandeLes architectes et maçons flamands du XVIIe siècle — artisans itinérants formés aux traditions constructives des Pays-Bas méridionaux qui édifient ce patrimoineAndré Malraux — ministre des Affaires culturelles dont la loi de 1962 sur les secteurs sauvegardés ouvre la voie à la protection du Vieux-LilleInspecteurs des Monuments Historiques des années 1960-1970 — acteurs de l'inscription du 22 janvier 1970 et de la sauvegarde du patrimoine lillois
Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Maison located?
Maison is located in Lille, Nord department, Hauts-de-France region, France.
When was Maison built?
Maison dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Maison open to visitors?
Maison is currently closed to visitors.