Pyramide des Chartreux
MonumentHidden Treasure
Pyramide des Chartreux, located in Sennevières (Indre-et-Loire), 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
- Sennevières, Indre-et-Loire, Centre-Val de Loire
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.1335, 1.0949
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00098111
A six-sided stone sentinel, this 18th-century pyramid watched over the royal hunting grounds in Touraine. Its unique hexagonal plan sets it apart from its three sisters scattered around the Liget forest.
© Wikimedia Commons
History
In the heart of forested Touraine, a stone's throw from the silent ruins of the Chartreuse du Liget, the Pyramide des Chartreux stands like an enigmatic sign in the landscape. The only one of the estate's four twin pyramids to have a hexagonal plan, it intrigues as much by its formal singularity as by its discretion: you look for it, you find it, and for a moment you are gripped by the austere grace of this hunting marker erected in the Age of Enlightenment. Its six-sided pedestal, surmounted by an elegant corbel underlined by a sculpted groove, supports a pyramid in the true sense of the word, its spire tapering towards the sky. The cushioning at the top - probably a stone sphere - has disappeared, giving the building a slightly truncated silhouette that only adds to its mystery. This missing detail invites us to recompose the original composition in our minds, and reminds us that all architecture has a life, wounds and a memory. A visit to the pyramid is naturally combined with an exploration of the immediate surroundings: the remains of the Chartreuse du Liget, founded by Henry II Plantagenet, provide a striking medieval counterpoint. The attentive walker will perceive the territorial logic of these hunting marks, veritable stone milestones that marked the rhythm of hunting expeditions in the carefully managed forests of the time. The setting is deeply rural and little frequented, making it an ideal place for lovers of confidential heritage. There are no crowds here, and no audioguides: just the stone and wood all around, and the rare feeling of experiencing an era when art was an integral part of even the most everyday customs of the nobility. A listed monument since 1956, to be discovered with the slowness it deserves.
Architecture
The Pyramide des Chartreux belongs to the vocabulary of 18th-century French ornamental buildings, the small, free-standing structures that punctuated parks, gardens and hunting grounds. Its uniqueness lies first and foremost in its hexagonal plan, rare among the landmark pyramids of the period, which gives the whole structure an unusual visual rotundity and a more complex volumetric presence than its square-based counterparts. The building consists of two superimposed and clearly distinct parts. The hexagonal pedestal forms the massive base of the composition: its six flat faces end in a corbel - an overhanging projection - that marks the transition to the pyramid proper. A groove, a sculpted concave profile, underlines this separation and lends the whole a typically classical elegance, playing on the alternation of solids and hollows. The pyramid then rises from this base, tapering steadily towards the summit in a pure geometry that evokes both Egyptian antiquity and the formal experiments of French revolutionary architects. The original cushioning, which has now disappeared, was most likely a stone sphere, a recurring motif in the obelisks of 18th-century Touraine. The building materials used are those of the local tradition: tuffeau or Touraine limestone, light-coloured and relatively soft, ideal for sculpture and characteristic of the region's built heritage. The building is modest in scale, in keeping with its role as a visual landmark in a wooded landscape.
Related Figures
Henri II Plantagenêt — roi d'Angleterre et comte d'Anjou, fondateur de la Chartreuse du Liget voisine au XIIe siècleArchitecte anonyme du troisième quart du XVIIIe siècle — concepteur présumé de l'ensemble des quatre pyramidesPropriétaire noble non identifié du domaine de chasse — commanditaire probable des quatre pyramides-repères
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Pyramide des Chartreux located?
Pyramide des Chartreux is located in Sennevières, Indre-et-Loire department, Centre-Val de Loire region, France.
When was Pyramide des Chartreux built?
Pyramide des Chartreux dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Pyramide des Chartreux open to visitors?
Pyramide des Chartreux is currently closed to visitors.