Maison de Bois
The "Maison de Bois", built between 1492 and 1495 and formerly owned by Catherine de Médicis, is distinguished by its door posts adorned with busts and symbolic sculptures, evoking the themes of civilization and wilderness in the late Middle Ages.
Description
It was built between 1492 and 1495. Its illustrious owner was Catherine de Médicis, who is said to have donated the house to pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela, which is why it is known as the "Maison St Jacques" or "Maison de Bois".
The door posts, treated like twisted colonnettes, are crowned with busts of figures on a scale background, bearing shields featuring a dolphin and three fleurs-de-lis.
The three sides of the corner post’s capital are decorated with a crouching figure resting his hands on his head, a jester wearing a marotte on his shoulders, and a wild man holding a club – decorative themes dear to Berrichonne sculpture of the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance. The presence of this wild man is
The door posts, treated like twisted colonnettes, are crowned with busts of figures on a scale background, bearing shields featuring a dolphin and three fleurs-de-lis.
The three sides of the corner post’s capital are decorated with a crouching figure resting his hands on his head, a jester wearing a marotte on his shoulders, and a wild man holding a club – decorative themes dear to Berrichonne sculpture of the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance. The presence of this wild man is
