Richard Garfield

Definitions of a country house?

The word country house in the medieval texts can have various significances according to the periods. It is only as from approximately 1229 that the term takes the direction of new city (" bastida sive populatio").

It is at the 19th century which begins the historical study country houses.

F. of Verneilh defines the country houses as: “… of the new cities built very blow, in only once, under the empire of only one will. ”

Alcide Curie-Seimbres, will take again this definition by specifying it: “The country houses all were founded has novo , of only one jet, with an exact date, on a preconceived plan, generally uniform, and that during the time of a hundred years (1250-1350). ”

Lastly, for Odon de Saint-Blanquet, “a city is a country house when the relative texts with its foundation qualify it thus” (1941).

From where great characteristics of the country houses:

a country house is a city;
there exists a founding document;
and of the original texts.

They are very short definitions for such a complex question, but essence is there. One could add that the country house is a Lotissement whose size is fixed by its originator and depends on the place that it must occupy in a general Urban network. The country houses are the expression of a medieval will of town and country planning.

Moreover, it seems today that the country houses are not really foundations has novo , the known as Curie-Seimbres. Indeed, the ground chosen for their establishment was generally not located in the middle of nowhere. It often acted:

is absorptive villages;
is of a mythical place;
is of a large crossroads where already a Commerce at a certain time of the year was held. In fact, a country house without body.

Today, one agrees to say that it is about new places of establishment for groups of population with agricultural goal, commercial or political.

Sites of country houses

South-west is unequally touched by the phenomenon of the country houses. Two spaces are really privileged in the choice of the sites:

the Pyrenean Piedmont;
the axis garonnais widened towards the east along the Tarn, of the Lot and the the Dordogne,

for natural reasons: the Altitude and the quality of the grounds. The country houses were indeed cities with agricultural vocation or histories: the Languedoc was already full with Roman cities.

Certain country houses are established however in strong defensive positions. For example: Arouville, Hastingues, Montfort, Baigts, Pimbo, Miramont-with-Guyenne…

Some between the two, fairly are opened and protected, like hesitant. For example: Saint-Justin, Cazères…

But the majority is established in Vallée S without accident. Some examples would be: Grenade, Villefranche-with-Rouergue, Toulouzette, Labastide-Chalosse and Duhort. The period 1250-1350 is indeed peaceful in south-west, between the Albigensian Crusade and the Guerre One hundred Year old.

Phases of foundation of the country houses

Prehistory of the movement (1144-1229)

It is between 1144 and 1248, year of died of Raymond VII, count de Toulouse, which are built the first country houses. 1144 are the year of foundation of Montauban, by the count Alphonse the Jordan.

At the period of the Albigensian Crusade, the French capacity shows all its interest for Aquitanian space .

It is about one time of transition with the Romance time. One proceeds by gropings in the search for new a style.

From 1144 with 1208, the county of Toulouse knows its golden age. Montauban is rested by the count of Toulouse to the doors of the Abbaye Saint-Théodard, to about fifty kilometers in the north of Toulouse. But the war of the Albigensians bursts and the dash of the foundations is broken.

It includes however in the years 1220 with the installation of the kingdom of France in Languedoc (1224) and the treated of Meaux-Paris (1229) which cuts the Albigensian into two along the Tarn. The East is joined together with the royal Domaine and the West remains with the Comté of Toulouse. Alphonse of Poitiers wife the oldest daughter of Raymond VII who does not have wire. The county of Toulouse east thus dedicated to disappear.

Peace returned and the area is stabilized. The principal poles of the area at the beginning of the 13th century are Toulouse, Albi and Montauban, which is already a big city at that time. The country houses are an effort of rebuilding after so much of wars.

They are preferably founded on the roads between Toulouse and Albi. However, some French foundations in Languedoc and fuxéennes in the Ariège constitute a minority.

Period alphonsine (1249-1271)

Alphonse of Poitiers, brother of Louis IX, becomes in 1249 count de Toulouse. It multiplies creations of country houses: during its twenty years of reign (1250-1270), it founds fifty four of them.

It is in conflict against the king duke in the west (towards the Batch and the Dordogne) and the count de Foix in the south (along the Garonne and of Ariège). It is in these spaces borders that the foundations of country houses concentrate. It is about a will of colonization of the broad valleys in the south of Toulouse.

At that time also starts to take shape an important axis of communication between Toulouse and Paris towards Cordes and Villefranche-with-Rouergue.

It is also about political creation following the arrival of the Capétiens in the area: thus, the creation of Villefranche-with-Rouergue answers the need for Alphonse for installing his capacity in Rouergue, vis-a-vis the old cities, such Najac, remained faithful to the dynasty raymondine.

One thus notices at that time the foundation of two types of country houses in two different areas:

the majority of them are intended to hold of the coveted or disputed areas. They divide the grounds to be supervised and choose defensive sites ;
near the Quercy (begun again by the French with the English in 1259), of the Rouergue or in the Albigensian:

does not have a military role;
has a function stage between Toulouse;
is aligned on the axes of communication.

From 1271 to 1290

Alphonse of Poitiers dies in 1271, without children. It is the Sénéchal French of Toulouse, Eustace de Beaumarchès which succeeds to him.

In 1272, Edouard Ier is crowned king d' Angleterre.

In 1272, south-west is shared in an almost equal way between the two men. The west and the North-West are with the hands of the English, is and the south with the French. The Gascogne central and Western constitute the border region between France and the king-duke. The local lords seek to remain autonomous while passing from one camp to another.

The English grounds, especially with the North-West, are covered with country houses. The old ones were rested by France, the news by England.

They are not very sure grounds. The country houses are placed there on defensive sites near River which are loader-gates in times of peace.

At the end of this third period, the Batch and the Dordogne will rather uniformly be covered with country houses, along the rivers.

Toulouse side, Eustace founds country houses according to a Auréole around the Métropole which stops in south-east.

In the Albigensian and the valley of the Garonne, it intensifies the establishment of country houses to consolidate the French capacity.

Lastly, in Gascogne Eastern, there exist many counties. Indeed, it is about an area partitioned by the relief which did not interest Alphonse of Poitiers. The country houses that Eustace founds there are a means for him of infiltrating the area.

From 1290 to 1350-1375

This period is marked politically by an increasing tension between England and France.

Eustace de Beaumarchès dies and the Guerre of Gascogne bursts. It is about a French offensive. Those take the Agenais. The Paix of Montreuil returns to England much of its grounds devastated by the war.

The majority of the country houses built at this period are it in the south-west of Aquitanian space. They are the fruit of English initiatives and seigneuriales. The king of France takes part in it little.

There is also intensification of the establishments of country houses in the already covered areas, like appearance of foundations of country houses in the Lauragais and between the Ariège and the Agout. These last to ensure it the control of the relations between Toulouse and the Languedoc.

Situation at the 12th century

Geographical location

The zone of the country houses extends:

with the Southern until the the Pyrenees;
with the Northern until the plates and greenhouses close to the the Dordogne and with the Mountain S of the Rouergue and the the Limousin;
with the western until the Atlantic Ocean.

Social situation

The company of the time is primarily rural. The landscapes are very individualized.

Politically, the ground is divided into whole small Pays. Largest are at the time the Périgord, the Quercy and the Rouergue. One can speak about Balkanisation of the Aquitanian South in 1200.

However, in spite of this parcelling out, on all south-west exists a great unit of Culture: the Culture occitane.

That does not prevent a relation between the Basque Country and the Toulousain. In this first, the peasants are semi Nomade S. When the ground is exhausted and the degraded Forêt S where they are established, the Hameau migrates. But it is never of long distances which are traversed. The churches, they, remain in place. In the Toulouse one on the contrary, the ground is more fertile. Ancient cities with Artisanat contribute to enrich the Bourgeoisie there.

Political situation

A crowd of Péage rs saw taxation peasants and travellers. They ensure a climate of in Sécurité and their money is enough for them often only to maintain small a Castrum and some men-at-arms.

Above those are established Seigneur S. They reign each one on several tens of villages and boroughs. In 1150 they are vassal king de France, either directly, or via the large feudal ones, like Raymond V, count de Toulouse, or Aliénor of Aquitaine (Duc hess of Aquitaine, Count sse of Poitiers and Reine of France).

By the marriage of the latter in 1152 with the king d' Angleterre, south-west becomes a ground of conflicts between the kingdoms of France and England.

In south-west a system of Charte S develops before the appearance of the country houses. They are in fact written documents where the royalties are stipulated whose Population must discharge. This one prefers this system less Arbitraire and more and more of lords adopt it. As of the 12th century, Auvillar and Montauban had already charters of habits and starters of paréage which are the legal tools energy to allow the blossoming of the country houses.

For J. Poumaride, Historian of the Right, “the penetration of the Roman law in the basin of the the Garonne coincides with a great movement of urban stamping and creation of country houses. The principle of individual Freedom which vehicle the Roman law is the leaven of this urban blossoming accepted by a not very coherent Féodalité southernmost”.

The lords of the time are of two types:

laic Lords: a lord Laïque is a Noble which offers protection to its people. To be really dissuasive vis-a-vis the other close lords, it must make great military expenditure. However, at the time, the wolf S and Voleur S are much more threatening. The construction of a strong castle is thus enough very often to ensure the protection of people. Many castles are built in the area. Around those will develop castelnaux, villages bound with the central castrum . One can often still today deduce the origin from these villages of the presence in their name of words such as: will castéra , manor house or castelnaud , like the villages: Castéra-Verduzan , Castelsarrasin , Castelnaudary , Belcastel or Castelnaud-the-Vault . The site of establishment always defensive, is often perched. In the center of the castelnaud a turn Carré E or is rectangular. It was the Logis seigneurial as well as an observation post. The houses of castelnaux are tight around. It results from it a Urbanisme with tortuous streets and small squares.

Lords: the ecclesiastical lords are them men of Église. Their role is also to ensure the protection of their people, but they do it in a different way. The Sécurité is guaranteed by the Dissuasion: the threat of Excommunication. Indeed, the grounds of the Church and especially the villages having the statute of Sauveté S are protected in right by the Paix of God. With the entry and the the most attended Carrefour S these grounds called Finage S is established a cross which marks the entry of a space Sacré. When these terminals are exceeded the weapons should be deposited. The current names of these villages, so called sauvetés , reflect to also them Histoire. For example: Sauvetat , Safe the or of the villages having taken the name of a Holy . However on the level of town planning, the forms are rather close to those of the castelnauds. The houses is had a presentiment of around the central Sanctuaire because it is about the truly inviolable place. In this sanctuary, the Clocher is generally built like a Tour of guet or Donjon and often the church is strengthened. A door carries, of small openings Romance are, of the thick walls with Contrefort S are not a Luxe in these turbid times.

Religious situation

The 11th century sees to be established and open out in south-west the doctrines cathare, which find under the sociocultural conditions of this area a compost favorable to its development.

The intransigent Anticlericalism of this movement and its opposition to the catholic hierarchy, are worth with the cathares to initially attract itself the lightnings of the Roman Catholic church, which condemns them like heretics and seeks to eliminate them, by the sermon and the doctrinal debate, then by the force.

The crusade against the Albigensians, preached by Innocent III in 1209 and carried out by Simon IV of Montfort, has like consequence, in addition to the fact of eliminating the Catharisme, to weaken the local authorities with the profit of the Capétiens, which are established durably in the area. Thus, the Comté of Toulouse is attached to the crown of France in 1271.

In the cities are established bishop S and Monastère S Cistercien S are established in all the area. People, very religious, often bequeath to their Mort part of their grounds to the Church with the result that this one east quickly becomes large a land Propriétaire.

Urban landscape

In 1200 most of the Agglomération S of the area are the castelnaux ones and sauvetés. The others often have origins Gallo-Roman are (their names generally finish downtown - ac and -).

The country houses thus arrive in a very humanized landscape already. It is what explains inter alia many irregularities in the compartmental one of certain country houses or the astonishing orientations of churches: they are heritages former to the foundation.

Form Gothic town and country planning

The property of the ground

The first need to found a country house is to have the ground. But the medieval Droit was complex. Often for the foundations it was necessary to establish a contract of paréage between the close founder and lords. This one fixes the legal status and tax country house. It envisages also what it will occur if the country house is a failure or if it grows.

There exists with the Moyen-âge the three shapes of property of the ground for a lord which were in the form of rights that a lord could hold or divide:

right to take the tax seigneurial (the taxable quota, the Dîme)
right to return the Justice (high and/or low)
right to sell the ground

Often the ground is held in Copropriété, a lord having all the rights at the same time on the same ground being very rare.

For the time of the foundation of the country houses it is necessary to take account of these properties of the ground. In country houses like Revel or Montreal-of-Gers the, the king is the only laic lord. The foundation is thus largely facilitated by it. But elsewhere of protracted negotiations between the Co-lords must take place. Moreover, sometimes of constructions already exist on the grounds chosen to found a country house, for example Grange S.

The contract of paréage defines the rights of the various lords and envisages the limits of the country house and what will be made there inside:

many houses, of gardens, cultivable grounds
size of the pieces
civic and religious buildings and their desfiscalisation.

However the contract of paréage does not fix the statute of the forests and Pâturage S around the city (collective ownership or equal distribution between the newcomers). It is with the news Communauté to decide it. Moreover, it does not make in any manner allusion to the plan of the new city.

A new vision of the world

Alcide Curie-Seimbres wrote in 1880 country houses qu'" one believes to see large kitchen gardens distributed in squares and served by right alleys ". Indeed, the country houses are very ordered orthogonally. That strongly breaks with the Romance shapes of the cities which the contemporaries could observe.

An assumption is that the medieval town planners would have found in the monasteries the Roman models and would have reproduced them. But this assumption runs up against the fact that the monasteries never formed the Architecte S. Vitruve is not redécouvert and diffused only at the 16th century. And especially, the Logical which underlies the squared layout of the country houses is not at all the same one as that of the layouts of the Romans.

The medieval Urbaniste S indeed made of the nine. They invented a Gothic town planning . But that was made same manner as the Gothic architects. Ca does not come from technological advances. The originality of the Gothic architecture holds in a reflection very completed on the topic of the Standardization.

Villard de Honnecourt, great architect of Cathedral S Gothics, has thus in its book of sketch conceived a Rosace of 216 realizable elements with only 5 stone models. It is included/understood whereas one of the principal elements of the Gothic architecture is the Gothic arch. Indeed, it facilitates the standardization of the archstones of the same arc: it is traced with two Courbe S of the same circulars ray, and moreover one can trace using the same curve of the gothic arches different height and range. That is impossible with the semicircular arch. In the same building one can thus employ a whole series of arcs different but traced using the same ray. One could say that, in the same way, the town planner, it, play with the ayrals (the Parcelle S).

XIIIe century is that of the birth of the Rationalité. Another vision of the world hatches. The important thing is not any more, as at the time Romance defining and delimiting the objects of the knowledge with a center and terminals. The Romance world was closed. The Gothic world opens. One opens towards the Intérieur (one observes the objects with the Loupe) and towards the Extérieur (one observes the objects with the proper perspective). The speech is that of the individual and the whole, the element and the system.

This revolution of the vision of the world has echoes in the musical world : time is counted, codified. One translates it in the form of Note S square which is aligned on carried S. One studies the his S and the composition of those to form musical work S.

The Théologie is not in remainder. She discovers the ancient Philosophie . More the good example is Thomas d' Aquin.

It is seen whereas the country houses are in the air of time. One wants to make complex starting from very simple things.

Elements of a country house

The first questions that the town planner is posed relates to the preexistent elements on the ground having to be used for the establishment of the country house.

Y does it have a preexistent village with collective elements to re-use?
Y does it have a preexistent church?
Nothing whole? is
Which the nature of the ground? Can it support the weight of the buildings? is
Which the Topographie place?

The place

In the center of each country house one finds a place invariably. It is completely contrary the city following the example of of the centuries previous, the castelnaux ones and sauvetés.

No Gallo-Roman city of the area kept at that time its ancient place. The castelnaux ones and sauvetés do not have either a place. In Italy near either one does not find any.

Perhaps the idea comes it from the the Middle East. Existed indeed there splendid places and the cross should not have missed mentioning it in their accounts on their return.

In all the cases, the prototype of the place of the country houses is that of Montauban. In this city, the place is a Carré of 70 side m.

It orders the division of the city in district S called trowels .

There is of them only one by country house except for Saint-Lily (for the Marché and for the church) and with Albias.

It there forever have direct relationship between the size of the place and the importance of the country house.

One chooses to establish it the flattest possible ground.

But especially, most important, it is that the founder sought to withdraw it to the maximum with the currents of Circulation. Generally the access is done with the angles.

One can count 3 types of forms of place. However, on the 300 country houses listed to date, only a hundred have a place entering one of the categories:

Plane with envelopment: the place is entirely closed towards outside. I.e. the place does not touch any street. The existence of this type of places shows well that the place of a country house is not a place of circulation. These places are however very rare. They are found for example with Tournay where it is about a square of 70 m out of 72.
Plan with single axis: this type of place results from a plan of country house organized according to a single axis (a packed main street several streets parallel S, cut by Perpendiculaire S). The place is then between two streets. The entry is done by the angles. These places in general make 50 to 55 m on side.
Plane with squaring: it is the most frequent case, the place of country house par excellence: a quadrangular place with access by the angles and whose Façade S are of only one holding (without andrones, to see Maisons ). This place derives directly from that of Montauban. Often the site of the place is a small island withdrawn from private construction. It is located in general at the center of the city and in order all the plan. They are most beautiful and the greatest places of country houses. They make 60 X 60 m on average at the 13th century, 90 X 90 m in XIVe. Largest to 70 X 140 m (two small islands) go.

Role of the place

The place is from the start reserved for the Marché. It has a very strong function indeed economic (several charters stipulate that all that is to be sold must initially be brought on the place). But quickly it acquires also a municipal function by the construction of common houses on the place. This function was initially provided in the church but is laicized very quickly.

The place becomes a center of attraction, even a social Symbole. Indeed, the houses giving on the place are often those of oldest the families (those being established in first).

Covers

Today when one walks on the place of a country house it is noticed that it is often with Portique S. It is an installation which was made only in the country houses. These places are called: places with covers or places of the angles .

In fact, it is about Ambon S added with the frontages of the houses after their construction. Initially they were in Bois then they are replaced by covers in stone later. The arcs supporting them are at the beginning of the gothic arches, then with the wire of the rebuildings will be replaced by Roman arches.

Markets

In the center of the place one also often finds a market of market. Covers later, it seems.

It was a question of protecting the merchants from the sun and the rain.

On the floor often places the to be able consular. It is much simpler to supervise.

The market often has a Clocher. It has truly all the attributes of a commercial Cathédrale . It is a Basilique having found its Roman origins .

Walls

The founders in general did not build a Fortification S around the cities. They left to the inhabitants the care to do it by a tax or a Octroi. That made that the set of interferences between the regularity of the Compartmental and the layout of the wall enclosing is at the origin of a great diversity in the plan of the country houses.

It is rare that they are built with the foundation of the country house, even in those established close to a Frontière. It is indeed about a calm time between the Albigensian Crusade and the One hundred Year old war. Libourne is an good example. Ten years after the foundation, the inhabitants had requested money from their Seigneur to build a Muraille. Once received, they spent it for the embellishment of their city.

At the beginning of the War One hundred Year old, many country houses were destroyed because of absence of defenses. The others were surrounded hastily of ramparts of stone.

Houses

The inhabitants who settled in the country house in general had a year to build it, that to incite the newcomers to settle durably. The first houses are thus rather rudimentary in general.

There exist rules of very precise establishments:

the alignment of the front frontage is obligatory;
they must be of a stage in addition to the Rez-de-chaussée;
they are not-joint (except on the place): between two houses a Androne (or entremis) is inserted, a space from 25 to 40 cm broad intended to avoid the propagation of the Incendie S and to facilitate the water run-off.

With economic development, urban space transfers. Around the place, a small market is established in front of each graver: they are covers, arcades, amabans or garlandes (see above covered ). Then this addition appears in the commercial streets. Under the streets of the Cave S grow hollow and above, certain houses facing are connected by Pontet S.

Streets

The main streets, called charretières ( will carreyra in Occitan) (because they allow the passage of Charrette S) make from 6 to 10 m broad. They skirt the frontages of the houses. They are often the longitudinal axes of the country house.

The secondary streets, called transverse or cross , make from 5 to 6 m broad, but could also make from 2 to 2,50 Mr. They frequently cut the streets charretières.

Lastly, the passages or alleys make they from 1 to 3 m broad. They are with the back of the ayrals. They are called also sometimes carreyrou .

The country house is composed in the direction the length of 1 to 8 streets. This number varies with the importance of the country house. When there is only one of them, it is called country house-street or village-ribbon . They are the country houses being less developed. A traditional city in checkerwork has at least 4 parallel streets.

The roadway is out of ground but sometimes covered with paving stones or rollers. It consists of two plans inclined towards a central gutter.

Types of grounds

Each country house contained either 3, or 4 types of grounds laid out organized by types according to crowns around the center town. These grounds all were equitably divided between all the families coming to be established in the city.

Ayrals

In the center these grounds cut out in regular pieces of 8 m out of 24 were on average, called ayrals , and intended to be built. There are however examples of country houses with ayrals of 12 X 28 m, or others of ayrals of hardly 10 m of depth. However, it is noted that the of the same country houses size had similar batches of sizes. Moreover, a simple Proportion was maintained between the Largeur and the Length of the ayral, often of 2 or 3.

It is also known that the 8 m of width of frontage on street are due to the fact that it is about the maximum economic range of a Poutre in Bois.

The bottom of the ayral was used to establish to with it a court, Latrine S and sometimes a Remise.

The number of ayrals in a country house was limited. It was defined in the contract of paréage and could vary several tens to several thousands (3000 with the Grenade-on-Garonne).

It is interesting to note that there was no exemption made on the regularity of the compartmental one. Public buildings and notable did not profit from a piece of higher size. However, one usually held the right for them to be spread out over several close batches.

Gardens

Those were on the second crown on the basis of the center, contiguous with the ayrals. They were same number as the houses. Their surface was reduced. There are often a report/ratio of proportion between the surface of the ayral and that of the garden, 2 or 3. The average of Superficie is from 5 to 7 Are S.

Vines

One finds this type of ground in many country houses but not in all. Sometimes there was only part of the population which was entitled to have a ground to cultivate the Vigne.

Arpents

The grounds of culture, called arpents , girdle all the city. They are extra-muros .

Their intermediate size is from 5 to 6 ha, which was largely sufficient considering the rudimentary instruments of the time.

Here also each family received with her establishment in the country house one arpent of the same surface.

In certain country houses of Clearing, the arpent was coupled with any other ground which the family could clear. For example with Bouloc, each family received 7 ha and could increase it of any ground of forest which it could clear.

Plan of country house

A great number of country houses are in unorganized plan , but a strong proportion of foundations holds a plan particularly Net.

It seems that there was a Modèle adapted to each foundation. Indeed, more half of the foundations were established on crossing of two directions Perpendiculaire S which, supplemented by many parallel S, give a Quadrillage.

There existed with the Moyen-âge a Corporation of lotisseurs charged to divide the batches on the ground and to envisage their destination. But it is certain that one did not call upon them for the country houses. In fact, according to the texts of the 13th century us having remained, it seems that they are not specialists who formatted the country houses. It would be rather about notary S, judges, Baillif S, seneshals, even of the bishop S. It is them also which apparently would have carried out the essential elements of the city which are the wells, the fountains.

Starting from the whole of the country houses, one can categorize in 5 types the plans.

Inorganic or embryonic

They are either completely disordered, or with the state of an embryo of plan, like Country house-with-Bousignac for example.

The reasons can be varied:

they are country houses founded starting from Hameau X existing,
they were very only slightly populated, it is a relative failure of the country house
quite simply the founders was without or had less rigor.

Circulars

The only existing circular country house is Fourcès in Gers.

This type of country house is thus very rare.

With envelopment

Generally they are villages not having been created of all parts at the beginning. They were preceded either by a church, or by a core of houses.

The new districts are established around the initial core and drown it.

With only one axis

They are most numerous. Lavedan estimates that they would represent between 30 and 40% of the total of the country houses.

They are generally located in Plaine.

They are built as their name suggests it on the basis of main street. This one was with the Middle Ages the way of required passage and generally connected the two principal doors of the city.

Sometimes the city did not widen around this main street. The place is then to be a spreading out, an outgrowth of the street.

Often, of many transversals cut the main street. One speaks then about layout in “ fish-bone ”. It is the shape of country house adapting well to the Relief, particularly when it is escarpé. Besides one finds them often on lengthened croups, like Gimont in the Gers. This country house makes 1000 m length for 300 m broad. The street charretière is the road of Auch to Toulouse which follows to this place the peak. It is cut in the country house by many very stiff transversals.

Sometimes the main street is doubled and the place ranges then between the two.

With two axes

One approaches here the case of the country houses considered as the result of the Gothic model of the country house. They are regarded as most typical of the movement. In all the cases, it is about the most elaborate model.

The base of the plan, they are two perpendicular axes ordering a chess-board. The streets are cut then in right angle.

The place is often central, or close to the center, square or rectangular.

The small islands are regular, generally rectangular.

Contours of the country house are them also geometrical: Square, Right-angled, Parallelogram, Hexagonal or Oval, the forms are multiple.

These are country houses that one finds as much in height as in plain, but it is in this situation that they give their more beautiful geometrical forms.

Certain founders are known to have preferred them with other shapes of country houses. In particular three of the largest founders: Alphonse of Poitiers, Eustace de Beaumarchès and Edouard I {{er}}.

Charter of the habits

The foundation of a country house is done by a certain number of stages:

choice of the emplacement ;
choice of the name of the country house. The names of the country houses étymologiquement have names forged on 5 roots:

of the name of the seneshal having founded them: Libourne (of the name of Leyburn) ;
of the royal authority: Montréal ;
pointing out external cities: Grenade ;
resembling the names of cities older (roots Latin be) ;
marking their origin or their privileges: Villefranche, Bastide ;

follows the contract of paréage between the lords Co-propriétaires ;
finally, design of the plan of the city.

Once these reached stages the city is still not founded. It is necessary that a Population comes to live it. It is necessary to attract families of peasants. For that, it is established a charter of habits , which in fact a list of Privilège S is granted to the inhabitants. It is presented besides thus, like a succession of privileges, granted one after the other, as if one added some from time to time to attract new inhabitants, which was the case surely besides.

These privileges were of 3 kinds:

of tax reductions,
of legal measurements and
of honorary measurements.

All these privileges given to the inhabitants, the equality as regards the distribution of the grounds and the legal quasi-equality from which the new middle-class men profit can reveal the country houses like grounds of Liberté and equality. But they did not have this goal at all. They did not seek to call into question the feudal Droit, nor to create a disorder. They are only local adjustments in order to improve the Rendement economic and tax of under-exploited grounds.

If the inhabitants appear free, they enjoy in fact only a mode economically liberal . If they appear equal, it is only a equal opportunity to their installation. In any event, the inequality and the absence of individual freedoms come especially from the state of the medieval Société.

Moreover, to allow the establishment of these privileges, the country houses had to refuse the establishment in them classes having already obligation S or privileges, incompatible with those. Thus, the Serf S, the Noble S and the religious are prohibited of installation in the city. Certain small noble will prefer to exchange their title of nobility against that more lucrative of middle-class and to make gift of their grounds to the country house.

There does not exist either of equality between the Homme S and the Femme S inside the country house. However, the women are mentioned in the charters of habits and have certain rights recognized even if they remain weak. For example:

in the very great majority of the country houses the men do not have the right to beat to them femme ;
the Dot is regulated and sometimes obligatory also for the men.

The Lépreux are not welcome in the country houses. Léproserie S accommodate them in some country houses but they are in any event excluded from the company. They are obliged to carry a Insigne showing that they are sick and they must live with share of the healthy people. The legislation of the Gascogne between 1290 and 1326 even says: “ In the country houses or new villages where a leper-house is not, the leprous ones cannot receive the Aumône. ”

The Juif S are another group of people having suffered from Exclusion in the country houses. At the beginning there was no problem. In Cologne, the street of the Jews gave even on the place. But like the leprous ones, in all France the Jews will be pursued at the 14th century. That begins in 1306 when the king Philippe Beautiful the expels all the Jews of the kingdom, confiscates and puts all on sale their goods.

Evolution of the country houses

The country houses can succeed and there are some still nowadays. But they can also miss, to empty itself of their population. Broadly the country houses knew three periods of selection.

Right from the start, a good number is eliminated. The survivors know a growth agricultural and commercial which causes major changes in the organization of south-west.

The War One hundred Year old and the persistence of the insecurity oblige the country houses to be equipped with walls. Slowest in this race with the defensive equipment are striped chart. When the calm cost, the area knows an unequal prosperity. The Bourgeoisie is affirmed and it is the age of the opening of main road. Those support obviously the country houses established on their length.

Lastly, it is with the S, at the time of the Rural migration which place had the third and last period of selection of the country houses.

The size of the country house is fixed by the contract of paréage but in fact, it is done more on the ground than in the highest levels of power. The Berger S lead indeed the Vache S and Porc S in wood. The reports/ratios are difficult between the stockbreeder S and the farmer S. These first carry out the Troupeau village and must be able to defend it. One chooses them for their force, they are surrounded by Chien S and the villagers are always ready to lend to them strong hand against the peasants of the neighborhoods.

Country houses

By departments (nonexhaustive list):

Ariège : Countryside-on-Arize, Country house-with-Bousignac, Country house-with-Sérou, Mazères, Mirepoix, Rimont.
Aude : Arch, Belpech, Carcassonne, Castelnaudary, Labastide-in Anjou, Montreal.
Aveyron : the Country house-the Bishop, Réquista, Sauveterre-with-Rouergue, Villefranche-with-Rouergue, Villeneuve-in Aveyron.
the Dordogne ( 18 country houses ): Beaumont-of-Périgord the, Beauregard-and-Bassac, Bénévent, Dome, Eymet, Fonroque, Lalinde, Molières, Monestier, Monpazier, Puyguilhem, Roquepine, Saint-Aulaye, Saint-Barthelemy-with-Bellegarde, Saint-Louis-in-the Isle, Vergt, Villefranche-with-Lonchat, Villefranche-of-Périgord the.
Gard : Acute-Dead.
Haute-Garonne : Aignes, Alan, Beauchalot, Blajan, Bouloc, Boulogne-on-Gesse, Boussens, Calmont, Carbon, Cazères, Fonsorbes, Gaillac-Toulza, the Grenade-on-Garonne, Labastide-Beauvoir - Labastide-Clermont, Lavelanet-with-Comminges, Lestelle-of-Saint-Martory, Burgaud, Fousseret, Nailloux, Montastruc-the-Adviser, Montréjeau, Palaminy, Pleasure-of-Touch the, Revel, Rieumes, Saint-Felix-Lauragais, Saint-Lily, Saint-Sulpice-on-Lèze, Villefranche-of-Lauragais.
Gers : Avensac, Barcelona-of-Gers the, Barran, Bassoues, Beaumarchés, Brittany-in Armagnac, Castéra-Verduzan, Cologne, Fleurance, Fourcès, Gimont, Jegun, Labastide-Savès, Lannepax, Marciac, Masseube, Mauvezin, Miélan, Mirande, Monguilhem, Montreal-of-Gers the, Pavia, Pleasure, Saint-Clar, Sarrant, Seissan, Solomiac, Valence-on-Lowers.
the Gironde : Cadillac, Créon, Libourne, Sauveterre-with-Guyenne, Monségur, Holy-Foy-the-Large, Pellegrue, Blasimon.
Moors : Arouille, Baigts, Betbezer-in Armagnac R, Bonnegarde, Cazères-on-the Adour, Coudures, Duhort-Bachen, Geaune, Grenade-on-the Adour, Hastingues, Labastide-Chalosse, Labastide-in Armagnac, Miramont-Sensacq, Montégut, Montfort-in-Chalosse, Pimbo, Port-with-Lanne, Rondebœuf, Roquefort, Saint-Gein, Saint-Geours-with Auribat, Saint-Justin, Saint-Sever, Sarron, Sorde-l' Abbey, Souprosse, Toulouzette, Villenave, Villeneuve-of-Marsan.
Batch : Beauregard, Bretenoux, Castelfranc, Castelnau-Montratier, Cazals, Fons, Labastide-of-High-Mount, Labastide-of-Green, Labastide-Marnhac, Labastide-Murat, Vitarelles, Montcabrier, Montfaucon, Pride, Puybrun, Rudelle.
Lot-et-Garonne : Pivot, Damazan, the Durance, Laparade, Miramont-with-Guyenne, Monflanquin, Montpezat, Warp end-with Agenais, Puymirol, Sainte-Livrade-sur-Lot, the Sérignac-on-Garonne, Villeneuve-sur-Lot, Villeréal.
Yrénées-Atlantiques : Ainhoa, Arzacq-Arraziguet, Assat, Asson, Bellocq, Bougarber, Bruges, Gan, Garlin, Navarrenx, Nay, the Country house-Clairence, Labastide-Villefranche, Lestelle-Bétharram, Montaut, Rébénacq, Vielleségure.
Hautes-Pyrénées : Avezac-Prat-Lahitte, Castelbajac, Galan, Lannemezan, Lubret-Saint-Luc, Montgaillard, Peyrouse, Rabastens-with-Bigorre, Saint Martin's day, Sère-Rustaing, Saint-Sever-with-Rustan, Tournay, Sort-on-Lowers, Vidalos.
Tarn : Arthès, Castelnau-with-Lévis, Cords, Labastide-Rouairoux, Lisle-on-Tarn, Pampelonne, Réalmont, Saint-Urcisse, Técou, Valence-with Albigensian.
Tarn-et-Garonne : Angeville, Beaumont-with-Lomagne, Castelsarrasin, Montauban, Monclar-with-Quercy, Montech, Nègrepelisse, Valence-with Agen, the Verdun-on-Garonne.

See too

Articles of Wikipédia

new City

External bonds

Site of the Center of studies of the country houses
Museum of the country houses, in Monflanquin 47150
Country house " Symbole" south-west
country houses of Aveyron
country houses in Périgord
country houses in Yrénées-Atlantiques
“'' Bastides 64 ''” - Association of the Country houses in Yrénées-Atlantiques
- the country house of Bellocq in Béarn
- country houses of Rouergue: texts and photographs

Sources

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