Interior view

The Château de Maisons is the most complete work surviving from the hand of François Mansart and gives a better idea than any other of his genius as an architect. In 1642 René de Longueil decided to build a new château on his estate and, having called in Mansart, appears to have given him a completely free hand. The main structure seems to have been finished in 1646, but the decoration may have extended over many years.

Maisons is the only building by Mansart in which the decoration of the interior survives. The entrance vestibule is a magnificent example of his severe richness - a design of Doric columns and pilasters, with allegorical reliefs on the vault and eagles on the entablature, but all kept in restraint by being executed in stone without either gilt or colour. Most splendid of all, however, is the staircase, the finest surviving specimen of Mansart's work in this field. It mounts in four flights round the sides of a square of which the central part is open. The whole space is covered with a dome, below which runs a narrow oval gallery allowing communication between the two ends of the building on the second floor.

The decoration in the staircase is particularly fine. The walls are ornamented with panels, on which sit groups of putti representing the arts and sciences. Even remarkable, however, is the balustrade, which is composed of interlocking curved blocks of great complexity, topped by a rich bunch of acanthus decoration.

The photo shows the staircase.

View the <a href="#" onClick="w=window.open ('/support/plans/m/mansart/1/maisons1.html', 'newWin', 'scrollbars=yes,status=no,dependent=yes,screenX=0,screenY=0,width=400,height=600');w.opener=this;w.focus();return false">plan of the first floor</a> of the Château de Maisons.