Manoir de Proissans
ManorHidden Treasure
Manoir de Proissans, located in Proissans (Dordogne), is a Renaissance château built in the 16th century. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- Manor
- Period
- Renaissance (16th century)
- Location
- Proissans, Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 44.9338, 1.2816
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00082777
Nestling in the Périgord Noir region, this 15th-century manor house boasts a sculpted eaves tower and windows with moulded frames, discreet but precious examples of noble medieval architecture in the Dordogne.
History
In the heart of the commune of Proissans, on the outskirts of Sarlat-la-Canéda, this 15th-century manor house belongs to the constellation of noble houses that dot the Périgord Noir like so many sentinels of golden stone. Far from the great fortresses and prestigious châteaux, it embodies the local nobility, the small landed lords who have shaped the rural fabric of this region since the late Middle Ages. What sets this manor house apart from the mass of rural buildings in the region is above all the quality of its architectural detailing. The eaves tower - a projecting moulding designed to deflect rainwater - bears witness to an architectural care that is rare for a residence of this scale. Combined with the two windows with moulded frames that punctuate the main façade, it reveals the hand of craftsmen who perfectly mastered the codes of the flamboyant Gothic style used in Périgord at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries. A visit to this manor house is an intimate encounter with Périgord's vernacular heritage. There are no crowds or queues: here, the attentive visitor is rewarded with the discovery of authentic architecture, preserved in its original state, which the centuries have spared from major transformations. The light of the Périgord region, golden and generous, plays with the limestone of the façade, revealing all its moulded reliefs. The surrounding countryside reinforces the sense of immersion in medieval Périgord. Proissans, which is part of the Sarlat agglomeration, offers a landscape of wooded hills, steep-sided valleys and cultivated fields that has hardly changed since the first masters of this manor house walked their land. Just a few kilometres away, Sarlat-la-Canéda, the medieval capital of the Périgord Noir and one of France's finest examples of Gothic and Renaissance architecture, is an ideal complement to the visit for heritage lovers.
Architecture
The Proissans manor house belongs to the late Gothic style of noble residential architecture, as developed in the Périgord Noir region in the second half of the 15th century. The orderly, sober main facade features two windows with moulded frames that are the centrepieces of the architectural décor. These frames, which are typical of the provincial flamboyant Gothic style, combine cavet and torus mouldings arranged in a network to create profiles of restrained elegance, far removed from the exuberance of the great royal projects but revealing the quality of local craftsmanship. The most remarkable feature is the eaves tower, an architectural appendage that is both functional and symbolic. The larmier - the horizontally projecting stone that runs the length of the tower - acts as a simplified gargoyle, protecting the masonry from rainwater run-off. But it is also a marker of status: only residences of a certain dignity display this type of meticulous treatment. The tower itself, probably square or rectangular in plan in accordance with Perigordic custom at the time, gives rhythm to the overall composition and lends it its aristocratic verticality. The materials used are those of the Périgord par excellence: blond limestone quarried locally, which gives the building its characteristic warm hue, and most likely limestone lauzes for the roof, the flat stone tiles used on noble manor houses and farms throughout the Sarlac region. The whole is a coherent, sober and dignified piece of architecture that blends in perfectly with the Périgord landscape in which it has been set for over five centuries.
Related Figures
Seigneur local anonyme du XVe siècle — commanditaire présumé de la construction du manoirArtisans tailleurs de pierre périgordins du gothique tardif — auteurs des encadrements moulurés et du larmierFamilles nobles sarlacaises des XVe-XVIe siècles — propriétaires probables dans l'orbite de la seigneurie de SarlatNotaires et juristes sarlacois — rédacteurs des actes de propriété aujourd'hui conservés aux archives de la Dordogne
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Manoir de Proissans located?
Manoir de Proissans is located in Proissans, Dordogne department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, France.
When was Manoir de Proissans built?
Manoir de Proissans dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Manoir de Proissans open to visitors?
Manoir de Proissans is currently closed to visitors.
