Maison médiévale
MonumentHidden Treasure
Maison médiévale, located in Cahors (Département 46), 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
- Cahors, Département 46, Occitanie
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 44.4494, 1.4425
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00132947
In the heart of Cahors, this 15th-century medieval house, tucked away in the grounds of the Pelegry college, reveals windows with infills and a carved trumeau of rare Gothic elegance.
History
Nestling in the dense urban fabric of Cahors, the medieval house of the Collège de Pelegry is one of the most striking examples of Gothic civil architecture in the Quercy region. Far from the great fortresses and cathedrals that usually attract attention, this discreet group of buildings speaks eloquently of the daily lives of the bourgeois and clerics of Cahors in the late Middle Ages. Its apparent sobriety conceals an architectural sophistication that only the discerning eye can grasp at first glance. The interest of this monument lies in the diversity of its components. The small building with its cross-headed windows evokes a grouped dwelling characteristic of a planned medieval housing estate, a phenomenon that has not yet been well documented in the medium-sized towns of the south-west. The other, more imposing, building is distinguished by its 15th-century addition of an off-staircase tower, a true testament to the skills of local masons, and by its infill windows adorned with a remarkable sculpted overmantel on the ground floor. To visit this house is to plunge into the intimacy of a prosperous medieval Cahors, a crossroads town between the north and south of the kingdom, nourished by the wine trade, the merchant trade and the prestige of its university. The measured proportions of the openings, the quality of the Quercy limestone and the finesse of the sculpted details tell us more than any textbook about the ambition of those who built these walls. The ensemble is set in a neighbourhood where other medieval remains can be glimpsed between the altered facades. A stroll along the surrounding streets of old blonde stone is a natural extension of the discovery, placing the building in its original urban context. Photographers and architecture enthusiasts will find unexpected framings here, revealing the persistence of the Middle Ages in the living fabric of the town.
Architecture
The building complex comprises two distinct structures with complementary architectural features. The first building, of modest dimensions, features cross-headed windows typical of late civil Gothic, arranged in a regular rhythm that evokes the mass production typical of medieval housing estates. The warm blond Quercy limestone gives these openings a soft, luminous effect, depending on the amount of sunlight. The second, larger building is the centrepiece of the complex. Its ground-floor facade is punctuated by a series of infilled windows whose mullions and geometric lines testify to the mastery of local stonemasons in the flamboyant Gothic style. The sculpted overmantel dividing one of these windows is of remarkable artistic quality: its decoration, probably with plant or heraldic motifs, is a direct source for the study of Cadurcian civil sculpture. The freestanding staircase tower, added in the 15th century, is topped by a pavilion roof and pierces the main volume with a spiral staircase serving the upper floors, an elegant and functional technical solution adopted by architects in the south of France during this period.
Related Figures
Jean XXII — pape natif de Cahors, fondateur de l'université de la ville en 1332, dont le prestige intellectuel favorisa l'essor du milieu éducatif ayant engendré le collège de PelegryFamille Pelegry — lignée cadurcienne bienfaitrice dont le nom fut donné au collège et à l'enceinte abritant la maison médiévaleMaîtres maçons du Quercy — artisans anonymes du XVe siècle auteurs des fenêtres à remplages et du trumeau sculpté, représentants de l'excellence lapidaire localeÉtudiants et clercs du collège de Pelegry — occupants originels de ces logements collectifs, acteurs de la vie intellectuelle cadurcienne médiévale
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Maison médiévale located?
Maison médiévale is located in Cahors, Département 46 department, Occitanie region, France.
When was Maison médiévale built?
Maison médiévale dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Maison médiévale open to visitors?
Maison médiévale is currently closed to visitors.
