Western tower, room 8
You are now in Mathilda and Guy of Dampierre’s bedroom. It is highly decorated with a combination of friezes, geometric patterns and flowers in red, yellow and blue.
Look at the false-stone decoration on the seven-hundred-year-old lime rendering is in a better condition in this room.
This room looked even more colourful and decorated than that on the ground floor, combining once again red, yellow and blue. The ribs also combined the three dominant colours.
Like downstairs, red and yellow strips framed the jack-arches, and each section of the vault presented friezes and simply designed red stars.
In the window frame, « the ceiling was brightened up by a red and yellow ochre border all around. An elegant frieze (a decor of palmettes in fact) decorates the lintel which, like everything else within this room architecture, painted or sculpted decoration, bears a XIIIth c. style. » (Barbier de Montault)
The monumental chimney has consoles presenting a classical style (quarter-circles, cavettos, mouldings). It sits opposite the window frame, fitted with two window seats (coussièges). The ceiling of this alcove was also decorated.
Finally, note that three of the figures on which the crocket consoles rest look down, in a sign of humility or prudishness, or both. Only one of them stares at the centre of the room.
© March 2023
