Maison Renaissance ou maison à colonnes
MonumentHidden Treasure
Maison Renaissance ou maison à colonnes, located in Périgueux (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
- Périgueux, Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 45.1841, 0.7244
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00082753
A Renaissance gem nestling in the heart of Périgueux, this 16th-century columned house boasts an arcaded gallery and sculpted pilasters of Italianate elegance.
History
In the heart of old Périgueux, in the Puy-Saint-Front district, the Maison Renaissance - also known as the columned house - stands out as one of the finest examples of civil architecture from the first half of the 16th century in Périgord. In a town that is one of the richest in ancient and medieval remains in south-western France, this residence stands out for the uniqueness of its decorative vocabulary, firmly rooted in the humanist movement that was sweeping through France at the time under the influence of the Italian Renaissance. What makes the house truly unique is the coherence of its façade: an articulation of superimposed columns or pilasters, organised according to a logic borrowed from classical order, which bears witness to an architectural culture that is rare for a provincial civil building. Far from being a simple bourgeois residence, it reflects the cultural ambitions of its patron, probably a notable or wealthy merchant, keen to show off his modernity at a time when François I was imposing the new taste throughout the kingdom. Visiting this house, even from the street, is a striking visual experience. The superimposition of architectural registers - arcades, columns, moulded friezes - creates a facade rhythm of great sophistication. Architecture buffs will see the first hesitations of French classicism, still tinged with medieval picturesqueness in the roofs and templates, but already fully humanist in the ornamentation. The surrounding setting adds to the excitement: the cobbled streets of Périgueux's Renaissance quarter, dotted with town houses and houses with turrets, form a coherent setting that allows us to appreciate this house not as an isolated object, but as the centrepiece of an exceptional urban fabric. Its proximity to Saint-Front Cathedral, itself a UNESCO World Heritage Site as a stage on the Pilgrim's Way to Santiago de Compostela, makes it a must-see on any Périgord heritage tour.
Architecture
The Renaissance house in Périgueux owes its nickname of "columned house" to the remarkable organisation of its façade, which is structured by a series of superimposed columns or pilasters that form its most spectacular feature. Faithful to the Italianate aesthetic that characterised the French Renaissance of the first half of the 16th century, the façade features several levels of elevation punctuated by these vertical supports, alternating with round-arched or straight-headed bays, in an antique-inspired scheme borrowed directly from the Vitruvian treatises, rediscovered and disseminated by Italian humanist architects. The materials used are those of the Périgord region: the local limestone, with its characteristic golden yellow colour, provides an ideal surface for decorative sculpture. Moulded friezes, capitals adorned with acanthus leaves or geometric motifs, and horizontal string courses separating the levels make up a coherent ornamental programme of meticulous workmanship, testifying to the skills of Périgord stonemasons trained to meet the new decorative requirements of the period. The general plan of the house, set on a tight urban plot typical of the medieval fabric of the Périgord, develops in depth from the street. The façade is the most architecturally accomplished part of the house, while the side and rear elevations are more functional. The roof, probably made of flat tiles or lauze according to regional traditions, completes an ensemble that, despite the alterations of later centuries, retains a remarkable stylistic legibility.
Related Figures
Prosper Mérimée — inspecteur général des Monuments historiques, contribua à la valorisation du patrimoine périgourdin au XIXe siècleFrançois Ier — roi de France sous le règne duquel la Renaissance s'impose comme style officiel et diffuse dans tout le royaumeUn commanditaire marchand ou officier royal périgourdin (non identifié) — vraisemblable maître d'ouvrage de la maison vers 1520-1550Un maître maçon anonyme — artisan formé aux nouvelles grammaires décoratives de la Renaissance, auteur probable de la façade sculptée
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Maison Renaissance ou maison à colonnes located?
Maison Renaissance ou maison à colonnes is located in Périgueux, Dordogne department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, France.
When was Maison Renaissance ou maison à colonnes built?
Maison Renaissance ou maison à colonnes dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Maison Renaissance ou maison à colonnes open to visitors?
Maison Renaissance ou maison à colonnes is currently closed to visitors.
