A symbol of success
A feature of the Parisian financial world from the end of the 17th century, the model of the maison de plaisance developed in the provinces, meeting with great success among merchants and shipowners throughout the 18th century. As a result, large estates with refined interiors sprang up on the outskirts of port cities, while in the port cities, families of shipowners seized this country trend. Each city had its own model. In Nantes and Montpellier, wealthy merchants had follies built; at Saint-Malo, the Malouinières (elegant holiday homes); in Bordeaux, the chartreuses and bourdieux; and in Marseille, the bastides. Lorient, La Rochelle and Bayonne still have a few examples of these precious creations. The proximity of a river was a decisive factor in the choice of location, as it provided easy access to commercial vessels on a straight course. Often creating an economic centre rich in culture, the maison de plaisance nourished its occupants in the country as well as in the city, and allowed a rural population to develop. When land was in short supply, it was used solely for holiday resorts. In this case, the emphasis was on entertainment, rest and isolation. An intense mix of business success and alliances with the local nobility, the maison de plaisance is a symbol of success. It reflects an advantageous position in a hierarchical society, enhanced by the accumulation of titles and offices, which places wealth and money in the hands of a privileged few.
From the end of the golden age to the present day
The Revolution of 1789 brought a halt to the construction of maisons de plaisance. Their apogee was therefore earlier and covered a long period, from the end of the Duc d'Orléans' Regency to the end of the 1770s. Some of them appeared at the dawn of the 19th century, perpetuating for a length of time an outdated feeling of the Ancien Régime. But we can see today that the heart was no longer in their construction. The architecture is simplified and almost too tame. It lacks the degree of carefreeness that allows for fantasy. Then came the years of survival with examples such as La Garenne-Lemot, built around 1815 on the banks of the Sèvre, looking back fondly on Olivier de Clisson's fortress. The society of the First Empire, followed by that of the Restoration, underwent such transformations that the model evolved and ultimately disappeared in favour of a need for renewal and grandeur. Behind the name "follies" appeared veritable palaces in the countryside, their rooftops reaching skywards like forests. This palatial architecture, with its extraordinary extravagance, swept away the figurative meaning of 18th-century folly. These new kinds of follies were gigantic stone ships run aground in romantic gardens. The maisons de plaisance before the Revolution, whose delicate soul reveals an almost ineffable beauty, remain without any real transition. They reach us without fading, laden with a vibrant nonchalance.
Rapid urbanisation, from the Industrial Revolution in the mid-19th century to the beginning of the 21st century, has jeopardised the existence of maisons de plaisance, particularly because of their proximity to urban centres. Where they have not been demolished to make way for new neighbourhoods, they have seen their agricultural land disappear and their gardens considerably reduced. In contrast to these losses, in recent years there has been better identification coupled with an effort to enhance the value of the estate, supported by caring owners. These initiatives are helping to improve our understanding of this very special heritage and to reduce as far as possible the pressure of land speculation, which is so intense in these areas.
Close to the grandiose rusticity of Italian suburban villas, but still a long way from the splendour of 19th-century stately homes, the maison de plaisance offers a delicate and harmonious interlude in the history of architecture. The taste, refinement and measured proportions of these pampered residences combine elegance and majesty beneath their apparent simplicity.
