2 weeks in France-5-26 to 6/8/2022

2 Days in Bourges, France-5/29/2022 to 5/30/2022

Day 2-Bourges, Palais Jacques-Coeur Continuation-5/30/2022

The Chapel.

Imagine this house richly decorated with lots of paintings, unfortunately almost all of the paintings have now disappeared.

The chapel is the only room that has retained its original ceiling, making it one of the most majestic room in the house

Closer view of the Ceiling.

15th century stained glass windows letting lots of naturel light inside the chapel.

La Pieta

16th Century Virgin Mary sculpture from Beaune-la-Rolande (Loiret).  The Christ and the right knee of the Virgin are sculpted from two separate block of stone.

Wooden pulpit and wooden chair in the Chapel.

Christ in the vision of Saint Gregory.  15th century bas-relief stone sculpture from the former Jacobins convent of Bourges on Rue D'auron.

The South gallery with vaulted ceiling.

Staircase that leads to the Chapel.

South Gallery with a superb fireplace.

Leisure of the nobility fireplace.  The lintel is very depressed arched bay window.  Each window contained a couple, nobles or bourgeois, resting on the edge of the windowsill.  On the right and left, these characters are taking fruit from a basket; the ones in the middle are playing chess.  The upper part contains a frieze interrupted by the pinnacles and florets of the arches.  It represents a peasants jousting tournament;  the opposing parties are riding donkeys, armed with sticks and wickerwork shields; hunting horns give the signal for combat to begin.

War Games fireplace

The decoration represents the defense of a fortress.  The lower skirting of the mantel piece is filled with the usual foliage, interspersed with animals.  The upper part is crowned with a parapet with machicolations, on which each arrow slit is occupied by a defender.  The attitude, weapon and attributes of each one are different.

Ladies dressed in court costume can be seen at tow dormer windows that emerge in the roof above the parapet who seem to be watching the spectacle of the siege.

Ceremonial Hall.

This room was similar to the banqueting hall, with monumental fireplaces, sculpted corbels and stained glass windows.  This gave it the role of a reception room, leading directly into the apartment of the master of the house.

Plaster copy of the tomb of the Duke of Berry, 1340-1416, brother of King Charles V, with his effigy and bear sleeping at his feet.

The original being in the crypt of Bourges Cathedral by Paul Gauchery, early 20th century.

Details on the bottom of the tomb.

Close view of the bear and the Duke de Berry.

Galley room

Designed for the master of the house, this room took its name from its original decor, totally dedicated to the merchant's flotilla of ships.

A high-relief sculpture forming the tympanum of the door can still be seen.

There were originally six stained glass panels, only one of which remains. 

Map of Jacques Coeur and his international commerce route.

View of the courtyard from the arch hallway.

Modern art in the hallway

We are now in the courtyard.

The architecture is embellished with numerous sculptures of remarkable finesse

In 1451 when Jacques Coeur was arrested, the house was confiscated by King Charles VII who was jealous of it. In the absence of a buyer, it was finally returned to the family in 1457. In 1501, Jacques Coeur’s grandson sold it and the house passed from hand to hand for almost two centuries until it became the property of Jean-Baptiste Colbert in 1679 who sold it to the city of Bourges three years later.

The town installed its administrative buildings there, first making it its town hall before transforming it into a courthouse in 1820. It is from this time that the house takes the name of Palace.

NEXT.... Day 2-Dinner at La Gargouille