Pavillon dit de Jeanne d'Arc ou Comptoir de Colas des Francs, actuellement siège du service départemental de l'architecture et du patrimoine (SDAP) du Loiret
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Pavillon dit de Jeanne d'Arc ou Comptoir de Colas des Francs, actuellement siège du service départemental de l'architecture et du patrimoine (SDAP) du Loiret, located in Orléans (Loiret), 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
- Orléans, Loiret, Centre-Val de Loire
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.9007, 1.9025
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00098974
A Renaissance gem from Orléans dating from the mid-16th century, this pavilion, with its façades adorned with Ionic and Corinthian pilasters, features carved stone vaults of rare elegance; it is a miraculous survivor of the bombings of 1940.
© Wikimedia Commons
History
In the heart of Orléans, a stone's throw from Place de Gaulle, stands a discreet building of exceptional architectural quality: the Pavillon dit de Jeanne d'Arc, formerly known as the Comptoir de Colas des Francs. Built around 1552, this little Renaissance gem bears witness to the refinement of the Orléans merchant bourgeoisie during the Valois period, when the Loire was still the corridor of French civilisation. What makes this pavilion truly unique is the rigour and elegance of its composition. Its three main façades are arranged in bays punctuated by pilasters with capitals alternating between the Ionic and Corinthian orders, a rare level of sophistication for a building whose purpose is essentially private and accounting. The rusticated base that anchors the building to the ground gives it an Italianate presence, while the pavilion roofs that crown it give it the silhouette that is so recognisable in the urban landscape of Orléans. The interior holds a major surprise: the ground floor, carefully panelled, is covered with a stone vault adorned with finely sculpted panels. The first floor picks up on this decorative scheme, with a plaster vault that blends harmoniously with the vault on the lower level. This ensemble forms a remarkably coherent interior décor, a rare survival of French decorative art from the middle of the 16th century. The attentive visitor will also appreciate the striking contrast between the apparent discretion of the building when viewed from the street and the richness of its architectural layout when approached. This pavilion, now the headquarters of the Loiret Departmental Architecture and Heritage Service, continues to house those who watch over the region's built heritage - a symbolic continuity of great historical depth. For lovers of French Renaissance architecture, this monument is a must-see when visiting Orléans, often overshadowed by the Sainte-Croix cathedral or Joan of Arc's house, but with an authenticity and architectural integrity that are just as precious.
Architecture
The Pavillon de Colas des Francs is an accomplished example of French Renaissance civil architecture in its mature phase, that of the mid-sixteenth century. The building consists of two storeys of living quarters set on a rusticated base, crowned by a pavilion-like, four-sloped attic - a silhouette characteristic of early classical French architecture. This rusticated base refers directly to ancient models and their reinterpretations by Italian architects of the early Renaissance. The three main façades feature a rigorous layout of bays separated by pilasters whose capitals alternate between the Ionic and Corinthian orders in a superimposition that respects the Vitruvian hierarchy. The bays are arched, their careful treatment and regular rhythm giving the whole an exemplary harmony and legibility. Androuet du Cerceau's style is defined precisely by this way of dressing the façades in a codified antique vocabulary while retaining the practical features of French architecture. The interior is perhaps the highlight of the building. The panelled ground floor is covered by a stone vault decorated with sculpted caissons, whose decorative panels bear witness to remarkable care and technical mastery. Upstairs, a plaster vault repeats and completes the iconographic and ornamental programme of the lower vault, creating an overall decorative coherence that is rare for a building of this scale. These interior decorations, preserved over the centuries and restored in 1965, constitute one of the most precious civil decorative ensembles of the Orléans Renaissance.
Related Figures
François Colas, seigneur des Francs — marchand et financier orléanais, commanditaire et premier propriétaire du pavillon (1546-1552)Jacques Androuet du Cerceau — architecte, graveur et théoricien de l'architecture, auquel est traditionnellement attribuée la conception du pavillonHenri II — roi de France sous le règne duquel fut édifié le pavillon (1547-1559), incarnation de la Renaissance française dans sa pleine maturitéProsper Mérimée — inspecteur général des Monuments Historiques dont l'action prépara la reconnaissance patrimoniale d'édifices comme ce pavillonViollet-le-Duc — théoricien et praticien de la restauration patrimoniale dont l'influence marqua profondément la politique de conservation des monuments au XIXe siècle
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Pavillon dit de Jeanne d'Arc ou Comptoir de Colas des Francs, actuellement siège du service départemental de l'architecture et du patrimoine (SDAP) du Loiret located?
Pavillon dit de Jeanne d'Arc ou Comptoir de Colas des Francs, actuellement siège du service départemental de l'architecture et du patrimoine (SDAP) du Loiret is located in Orléans, Loiret department, Centre-Val de Loire region, France.
When was Pavillon dit de Jeanne d'Arc ou Comptoir de Colas des Francs, actuellement siège du service départemental de l'architecture et du patrimoine (SDAP) du Loiret built?
Pavillon dit de Jeanne d'Arc ou Comptoir de Colas des Francs, actuellement siège du service départemental de l'architecture et du patrimoine (SDAP) du Loiret dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Pavillon dit de Jeanne d'Arc ou Comptoir de Colas des Francs, actuellement siège du service départemental de l'architecture et du patrimoine (SDAP) du Loiret open to visitors?
Pavillon dit de Jeanne d'Arc ou Comptoir de Colas des Francs, actuellement siège du service départemental de l'architecture et du patrimoine (SDAP) du Loiret is currently closed to visitors.