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Origin and history

The Mansart House, located in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, is a mansion built between 1704 and 1707 for David de Fourré. Its classic architecture, marked by a symmetrical facade in lied-de-vine sandstone, a square floor pierced with six windows and an attic illuminated by triangular dots, evokes the style of Jules Hardouin Mansart, although he was not involved. The building, originally named Fourrenea, owes its current name to its broken roof, typical of the Mansart achievements. The entrance door, framed by imposts and surmounted by a larval, coexistes with an arch in basket handle, vestige of an old shop. At the back, a more sober elevation, under coating, has windows of various sizes and an entrance porch. The interior, transformed into a town hall, preserves a staircase turning into a masonry and the openings in the vestibule.

The construction was entrusted to the masons Joanes de Vidondo and Joanes d'Iribarne, from Baigorri, on the order of David de Fourré. After the Revolution, the building lost its original name to adopt that of Maison Mansart, with reference to its architectural style. In 1935, the municipality acquired the building from Mr. Alamon and installed the town hall there in 1937, under the direction of the Bayon architect Saint-Vanne. The front façade bears two inscriptions dated 1939: the date itself and the mention UNIVERSITAS BURDIGALENSIS, recalling an aborted project to set up a centre for Basque and Romanesque studies linked to the University of Bordeaux. These decorative elements, made by Fraisse, highlight the functional evolution of the building, from private residence to municipal headquarters.

Classified as a Historical Monument by decree of 27 June 1934, the Maison de Mansart illustrates the adaptation of the French classic cannons in a city marked by its medieval city history and its role on the roads of Santiago de Compostela. Its architecture, combining geometric rigor and local materials like sandstone, reflects both the influence of major Parisian models and regional specificities. Today, it remains a symbol of the civil heritage of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, while sheltering the communal institutions.

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