The Petit Perron Castle, also known as the Gondi Fields House, is a Renaissance building located in Pierre-Bénite, in the Lyon metropolis. Built in the 16th century, it is part of a larger area including the Grand Perron, with which it shared a common history until 1609. Its Tuscan architecture, marked by superimposed galleries and terraced gardens, reflects the influence of Florentine merchants based in Lyon, such as Antoine Gondi, who acquired the estate in 1520 and transformed it into an elegant country residence, uniting pre-existing buildings.
The history of the site dates back to the 12th century, with records of property and a house of Perron owned by Guillaume Rufus, canon of Lyon. In the 16th century, Antoine Gondi and his wife Marie-Catherine de Pierrevive, both of Florentine origin, restructured the hamlet into a coherent residence, adding gallery facades and panoramas gardens inspired by beautiful Tuscan views. Le Petit Perron was detached from the Grand Perron in 1609, when he sold to Guillaume de Balmes, secretary of the king. Both properties had previously welcomed historical figures, such as Catherine de Medici and Charles IX, received at the Grand Perron in 1564.
The architecture of Petit Perron is distinguished by a "U" plan around an inner courtyard, completed by a square pavilion and a chapel added in 1748. The east and west facades feature three levels of arcade galleries, connected by a screw staircase. The gardens, organized in two terraces, offer perspectives on the Rhône Valley, Mont Blanc and Mont Pilat, according to the Tuscan tradition. Remnants of 16th century fortifications, like traces of towers, remain in the buildings. The estate, classified as a historic monument in 2006, had many owners, including the Camus and Balmes families, before being restored in the 20th century by the Renaud Foundation.
The castle illustrates the links between Lyon and Florentine merchants, such as the Gondi and Pierrevive, who marked local urban planning. Marie-Catherine de Pierrevive, close to Catherine de Médicis, played a key role in the design of the premises before joining Paris in 1544. The Petit Perron was also associated with historical mistakes, such as the erroneous attribution of its construction to Jean Camus, a contemporary Lyon merchant from the Gondi. Recent research, such as the CRBA (2011), has clarified its evolution from its medieval origins to its modern transformations.
In the 20th century, the castle, divided into dwellings, was saved by restorations undertaken from 1980 by Jean-Jacques Renaud. Discoveries, such as paintings in the south wing and a monumental chimney, testify to its rich past. Today, Petit Perron is visiting on request, testifying to the Lyon Renaissance heritage and cultural exchanges between France and Italy. Its inscription in historical monuments covers the entire estate, including the walls and gardens, thus preserving a rare example of Tuscan architecture in the Rhône-Alpes.
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