Manoir de Sautet
ManorHidden Treasure
Manoir de Sautet, located in Molières (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
- Molières, Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 44.7986, 0.8145
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00082650
A discreet jewel in the Périgord Noir, the Manoir de Sautet reveals the elegance of a 17th-century Périgord Carthusian monastery, enhanced by Louis XV pavilions and oval dormer windows with pediments crowned with fire pots.
History
Nestling in the gentle rolling hills of the Périgord Noir, in Molières, the Manoir de Sautet embodies the ideal of the French 17th and 18th century pleasure house with refined sobriety. Far from the ostentation of grand residences, its architecture is measured and balanced, with every detail betraying the taste of a provincial nobility enamoured of order and classical grace. What distinguishes Le Sautet from a simple rural manor house is precisely the coherence of its architectural style: the severe, rectilinear central body of the seventeenth century was extended in the following century by two pavilions in return that frame the façade like open arms, defining a terrace that is both intimate and ceremonial. The three large French windows with pointed arches that pierce the main facade give the whole an almost Italian lightness, playing skilfully with the golden light of the Périgord. Attentive visitors will look up to the attic to discover the oval dormers, the true Baroque signature of the building: framed by stone scrolls and curves, they are topped by a circular pediment from which rises a fire pot, a characteristic ornament of the French decorative repertoire of the Grand Siècle. This sculpted vocabulary contrasts delightfully with the sobriety of the rest of the façade. The terrace between the two pavilions, accessed by a double-flight staircase, invites you to take a contemplative break. From here, you can look out over the woodlands of the Périgord Noir, a landscape of chestnut and oak trees that was once the hunting ground of the Lords of Cugnac. The atmosphere here is one of suspended time, untouched by the main tourist routes. Although discreet in the Dordogne's heritage landscape, the Manoir de Sautet is a precious example of provincial pleasure architecture, listed as a Historic Monument in 1972 and preserved in a state that does justice to its two centuries of progressive construction.
Architecture
The Sautet manor house belongs to the architectural type known as the "chartreuse", a form specific to Guyenne and Périgord that is characterised by a low, long building with no main storey and directly open on one level to the outside. This design, inspired by the residences of the Bordeaux region, reflects both an ideal of country living and a climate that favours large windows to let in light and air. In its current state, the building is laid out in a U-shape: the sober, well-balanced rectangular central body dating from the seventeenth century is flanked by two pavilions added in the eighteenth century, which are slightly set back from each other and form a ceremonial terrace that precedes the main facade. The façade features three large French windows with low arches that occupy the entire useful height of the building, a classic technique that blurs the distinction between door and window to create a fluid dialogue between interior and exterior. The low arch, characteristic of the Baroque and classical vocabulary of the 18th century, lends an elegant horizontality to the whole. Above, the attic is enlivened by oval dormers framed by sculpted stone curves and scrolls, topped by a circular pediment crowned by a pot à feu - a stone ornament evoking a flame or stylised bouquet, typical of the French decorative repertoire of the Grand Siècle and Regency periods. The terrace, accessed by a central staircase, underlines the symmetrical composition of the whole and provides a neat transitional space between the architecture and the surrounding Périgord landscape.
Related Figures
Famille de Cugnac — lignée noble périgourdine, propriétaire originelle du fief et commanditaire présumée du pavillon de chasseMaîtres d'œuvre locaux anonymes du XVIIe siècle — bâtisseurs du corps centralArtisans et sculpteurs périgourdins du XVIIIe siècle — auteurs des lucarnes ovales et décors sculptés
Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Manoir de Sautet located?
Manoir de Sautet is located in Molières, Dordogne department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, France.
When was Manoir de Sautet built?
Manoir de Sautet dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Manoir de Sautet open to visitors?
Manoir de Sautet is currently closed to visitors.