Manoir Renaissance dit Mas de la Brune
ManorHidden Treasure
A Renaissance gem nestling in the Alpilles, the Mas de la Brune in Eygalières fascinates visitors with its Italianate architecture of rare elegance and its formal gardens framed by centuries-old box trees.
History
In the heart of the Alpilles, in the hilltop village of Eygalières, Mas de la Brune stands out as one of the most refined Renaissance residences in Provence. Far removed from the region's great medieval fortresses, this manor house reveals a unique architectural sensibility, blending the ornamental vocabulary of the Italian Renaissance with the robust construction of Provence. Its carefully composed facade, punctuated by pilasters and mullioned windows, bears witness to a cultured patron who was well aware of the artistic fashions that were then sweeping across Europe from the Italian peninsula. What makes Mas de la Brune truly exceptional is the coherence of its ensemble: the main building, its outbuildings and its garden form a harmonious whole, preserved with remarkable integrity since the 16th century. Where so many similar residences have undergone successive alterations that have blurred their meaning, Mas de la Brune has managed to retain its stylistic unity, making it a living architectural document of rare precision. To visit Mas de la Brune is to experience time suspended. The gardens, structured according to the principles of classical composition with their geometric parterres and clipped hedges, offer a setting of plants in dialogue with the blonde Provencal stone. The Alpilles sun, particularly bright at the end of the day, reveals the relief of the sculptures and the warmth of the limestone, creating an atmosphere that is both intimate and majestic. The setting of Eygalières itself adds to the charm of the visit. This village of steep streets, ochre stone houses and thousand-year-old olive trees is one of the most beautiful settings in inland Provence. From the outskirts of the manor house, your gaze wanders to the jagged ridges of the Alpilles, the limestone massif that Van Gogh himself magnified from nearby Saint-Rémy-de-Provence.
Architecture
The architecture of Mas de la Brune is a shining example of the way in which 16th-century Provencal architects adapted the canons of the Italian Renaissance to the local context. The main facade, facing south to take advantage of the sunshine, is rigorously ordered: Corinthian pilasters punctuate the bay, framing stone-panelled or mullioned windows whose architraves are adorned with delicately worked mouldings. A carefully shaped entablature crowns the whole, testifying to the mastery of a master mason or architect familiar with the treatises of Vitruvius or Serlio, which were widely used in Provence at the time. The building is constructed using Alpilles limestone, a local material with a golden white colour that ages magnificently and is found in all the great architectural works of the region, from the Antiques of Glanum to the ramparts of Les Baux-de-Provence. The low-sloped roofs, in keeping with Provencal tradition, are covered with round, weathered canal tiles, whose reddish-ochre hue contrasts harmoniously with the pale stone. The manor house is laid out around a rectangular main building, flanked by agricultural outbuildings that reflect the property's dual residential and agricultural vocation. The garden is the other major architectural feature of the complex. Designed in the spirit of the formal gardens of the Renaissance and the 17th century, it features geometric parterres bordered by pruned boxwood, stone paved paths and decorative elements - basins, stone benches, statues - that extend the refinement of the dwelling outwards. This landscape ensemble, rare in its preservation, is considered to be one of the best-preserved Renaissance-classical gardens in Provence, comparable in quality, if not in size, to the gardens of the great bastides of Aix.
Related Figures
Famille Merle — probable commanditaire ou premier propriétaire du manoir au XVIe siècleFamille de Bouliers — propriétaires aux XVIe-XVIIe siècles, ayant contribué aux premiers aménagements du domaineMaître maçon anonyme — architecte ou entrepreneur dont la maîtrise des formes Renaissance témoigne d'une formation au contact des chantiers royaux ou italiensHenri IV — dont la politique de pacification permit la renaissance économique de la Provence et favorisa la survie de nombreuses demeures seigneurialesInspecteur des Monuments Historiques (1924) — auteur du rapport ayant conduit au classement du manoir le 9 août 1924
