Manoir de Perdigat
ManorHidden Treasure
Manoir de Perdigat, located in Saint-Chamassy (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
- Saint-Chamassy, Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 44.8905, 0.9163
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00082812
Nestling in the Périgord region, the Perdigat manor house boasts an exceptionally elegant doorway and two asymmetrical towers, making it a little-known gem of 15th-century seigniorial architecture.
History
Discreetly set in the gentle hills of the Périgord region around Saint-Chamassy, the manor house of Perdigat embodies with aristocratic sobriety the finest of provincial noble architecture produced at the turn of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Without ostentation, but with an undeniable nobility of proportions, it stands as one of the most authentic witnesses to the life of the nobility in a Périgord that was still Gothic. What sets Perdigat apart from other rural manor houses of its generation is above all the quality of its decorative features. Its entrance door, framed by two tapering pinnacles and crowned with a curled cabbage characteristic of late flamboyant Gothic, reveals the ambition of a master builder keen to assert the status of his client without competing with the great princely residences. The arch that crowns it is a rare piece of workmanship for a building of this scale. The volumetric composition of the manor house is just as unusual: a round tower at the southern corner contrasts with a hexagonal tower on the north side, which houses the interior staircase. This deliberate asymmetry, far from being a fault, betrays an architectural sensibility in transition, where function and aesthetics are balanced with an ingenuity typical of Périgord builders. The facades retain their cruciform mullioned windows, a precious detail that allows the building to be "read" as a living historical document. The local limestone, with its centuries-old patina, is bathed in golden light in the early hours of the morning, making the manor house a favourite subject for heritage photographers. Perdigat represents exactly what the Dordogne has to offer: not the spectacular grandeur of the châteaux on the Vézère or in the Sarladais region, but the intimacy of a noble country house that has survived the centuries without losing its soul.
Architecture
The Perdigat manor house adopts a layout that is typical of Périgord noble residences in the late Middle Ages: a compact, well-proportioned single-storey main building flanked by two towers with deliberately distinct geometries. In the southern corner stands a round tower, a tutelary figure of medieval fortification now devoid of any real defensive function, but preserved as a sign of status and as a volumetric projection. On the north side, a hexagonal tower - a rarer and therefore more precious shape - houses the interior staircase, an elegant solution that frees up the dwelling's space for this obligatory passage. The most remarkable feature of the building remains its entrance door, a miniature late flamboyant Gothic masterpiece. The segmental arch above it - a broken curve characteristic of the late Gothic style - is framed by two tapering pinnacles and crowned by a curly cabbage, a stylised plant motif itself crowned by a second, smaller pinnacle. This stylistically coherent decorative ensemble places Perdigat in the direct lineage of the great Gothic projects of the 15th century, translated here to a domestic scale. The facades retain their cruciform mullioned windows on the north and south faces, precious evidence of 15th-16th century stone carpentry. Périgord limestone, with its characteristic ochre yellow colour, is used almost exclusively for the building, as is customary in this region, which is rich in quality quarries. The composition as a whole, sober in its massing and refined in its details, perfectly illustrates the aesthetic of the 'happy medium' typical of the small provincial nobility: neither the excessiveness of large fortresses nor the banality of simple manor houses.
Related Figures
Famille seigneuriale locale (XVe siècle) — commanditaire probable du manoir initial, petite noblesse périgourdine dont l'identité reste à établirMaître maçon périgourdin (XVe siècle) — artisan anonyme auteur de la remarquable porte en arc en accolade et des décors gothiques flamboyantsPropriétaires du XVIe siècle — responsables des extensions et aménagements Renaissance qui complètent le corps de logis médiévalInspecteurs des Monuments Historiques (1971) — acteurs de la reconnaissance officielle et de la protection de l'édifice
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Manoir de Perdigat located?
Manoir de Perdigat is located in Saint-Chamassy, Dordogne department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, France.
When was Manoir de Perdigat built?
Manoir de Perdigat dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Manoir de Perdigat open to visitors?
Manoir de Perdigat is currently closed to visitors.
