🏛️ Lieu
Patrimoine & Culture
Maison Ligier Richier
📍 Saint-Mihiel, Meuse
· 7 Rue haute des Fosses, 55300 Saint-Mihiel
À propos
The Maison Ligier Richier, located at 7 rue Haute des Fosses in Saint-Mihiel, is believed to have been acquired by Sammiellan sculptor Ligier Richier in 1535. He lived there until 1564, when he left for Geneva*.
During restoration work begun in 2012, the discovery of walled doorways to the adjoining house (n°5 rue Haute des Fosses) suggests that the current Ligier Richier house was probably the "belle pièce" of a larger Renaissance residence.
Around 1750, the Abbé Dom Calmet, who was staying in Saint-Mihiel, reported that the interior featured a magnificent fireplace, the large mantel of which (classified M.H.) can now be seen at the Han sur Meuse town hall.
Today, the ceiling (approx. 50 m²) features solid oak beams and trilobed joists, and moulded terracotta pendants and braces.
The fleuron decoration on the caissons is inspired by Roman Antiquity: a stylistic comparison can be made with the decorative motifs on the centurion's breastplate and the tomb of the Sepulchre (Saint Etienne church, Saint-Mihiel).
This early 16th-century terracotta ceiling is the only example known to date in Europe. It is attributed to Ligier Richier, although there is no formal proof. It is one of the few surviving examples of the decoration of a fine Renaissance civil dwelling, most of which is to be found in noble or ecclesiastical buildings.
The ceiling was dismantled in 1918, transferred to Metz and then to the Louvre, and reassembled in 1921, when it was classified as a Historic Monument.
The various treatments it has undergone since the Renaissance (whitewash, paint), the heavy soiling caused by the use of fireplaces and coal-burning stoves, and the numerous cracked or even missing elements, now require in-depth restoration.
The current owner, Catherine Sidrot, "would like to turn this unique space into a work and exhibition space focusing on photography" Visits possible outside Heritage Days.
*References - Charles Souhaut 1883 ? Paul Denis 1911 - Michel Dumont 1990 and since then all publications on Ligier Richier
During restoration work begun in 2012, the discovery of walled doorways to the adjoining house (n°5 rue Haute des Fosses) suggests that the current Ligier Richier house was probably the "belle pièce" of a larger Renaissance residence.
Around 1750, the Abbé Dom Calmet, who was staying in Saint-Mihiel, reported that the interior featured a magnificent fireplace, the large mantel of which (classified M.H.) can now be seen at the Han sur Meuse town hall.
Today, the ceiling (approx. 50 m²) features solid oak beams and trilobed joists, and moulded terracotta pendants and braces.
The fleuron decoration on the caissons is inspired by Roman Antiquity: a stylistic comparison can be made with the decorative motifs on the centurion's breastplate and the tomb of the Sepulchre (Saint Etienne church, Saint-Mihiel).
This early 16th-century terracotta ceiling is the only example known to date in Europe. It is attributed to Ligier Richier, although there is no formal proof. It is one of the few surviving examples of the decoration of a fine Renaissance civil dwelling, most of which is to be found in noble or ecclesiastical buildings.
The ceiling was dismantled in 1918, transferred to Metz and then to the Louvre, and reassembled in 1921, when it was classified as a Historic Monument.
The various treatments it has undergone since the Renaissance (whitewash, paint), the heavy soiling caused by the use of fireplaces and coal-burning stoves, and the numerous cracked or even missing elements, now require in-depth restoration.
The current owner, Catherine Sidrot, "would like to turn this unique space into a work and exhibition space focusing on photography" Visits possible outside Heritage Days.
*References - Charles Souhaut 1883 ? Paul Denis 1911 - Michel Dumont 1990 and since then all publications on Ligier Richier
