In some regions of France, it's a utilitarian element in the architecture of thatched rural houses, where flat stones cover the load-bearing walls. In other regions, such as northern France (notably in the
Soissonnais region), or
Scotland, it is a purely decorative element in ashlar. Another version of the stepped gable with a purely decorative role is found in so-called noble or urban architecture, mainly in northern and central Europe, such as Germany,
Flanders and the Netherlands.
Rural architecture , Sweden In the rural architecture of various regions of France, the crenellated gables still visible on dwellings and barns are generally linked to the former existence of thatch roofing on these buildings, replaced during the 19th century by slate or flat tile roofing.
Usefulness The main advantages of the vertical projection of the gable slopes were to prevent the
thatched roof from being “unplucked” in high winds, to facilitate access to the roof ridge These stones often (but not always) slope downwards to allow rainwater to drain away. In the Campan valley (Hautes-Pyrénées), thatched roofs with overhanging gables can be found on temporary barns transformed into permanent farmhouses in the 19th century by family cadets, either by adding a single room (
caouhadé or
chauffoir) against a gable, or by creating a living space in the barn itself.
Rhône-Alpes In the Rhône-Alpes region, they are typical of the architecture of eastern Nord-Isère (
Morestel and
Crémieu cantons) and neighboring southern
Bugey (villages of
Izieu,
Prémeyzel,
Lhuis,
Brégnier-Cordon,
Arbignieu, etc.). They are also widespread in the traditional habitat of the northern
Vercors (Quatre Montagnes). File:Maisons Bregnier.JPG|
Brégnier-Cordon (Ain). File:Pignon Redents Izieu.JPG|
Izieu (Ain). File:Pignon Redents Murs.JPG|
Murs-et-Gélignieux (Ain). File:Pignon Redents Prémeyzel.jpg|
Prémeyzel (Ain). In
Frangy, Haute-Savoie, not far from the Bugey region, a rare example of this type of gabled roof can be found at the
Bel-Air farm, which is listed as a historic monument. File:Ferme de Bel-Air - pignon à redents.jpg|Farmhouse of
Bel-Air in
Frangy (
Haute-Savoie). File:Mont Chat.JPG|Hamlet in the
Loisieux commune (Savoie), with Mont du Chat in the background.
Central Pyrenees In the central Pyrenees, from
Bigorre to
Couserans, gabled roofs are a common feature of
barn and
sheepfold architecture. File:Les granges de Cominac.jpg|Les granges de Cominac, in the commune of
Ercé (Ariège). File:PasDOiseaux 01.JPG|No sparrows in
Couserans (Ariège). File:PasDOiseaux 02.jpg|Renovated barn near
Ercé (Ariège). File:PasDOiseaux 03.jpg|Barn near Cominac (Ariège).
Jura department In the villages of the
Jura and
Franche-Comté vineyards, some
traditional Jura houses are built with gabled roofs. File:Maison pignon redents Jura 008.JPG|
Voiteur,
Jura vineyards. File:Maison pignons redents Jura 004.JPG|
Saint-Laurent-en-Grandvaux. File:Pignon à redents Jura 002.JPG|
Tourist route of Jura wines. File:Pignon à redents Jura 004.JPG|
Tourist route of Jura wines. File:Pignon à redents Jura 005.JPG|
Quintigny.
Soissonnais Stepped gables, also known as sparrow-stepped gables, can be found in villages along the
Aisne valley, mainly in the
Soissonnais region, where they are particularly numerous, if not widespread, and have characterized local rural architecture since the Middle Ages. They can be found on all types of buildings, mainly rural houses, but also manor houses, barns, town houses and church steeples. The term “crenellations” was formerly used to describe these steps. These are small steps, often consisting of a single ashlar course, not covered with flat stone. They have no credible utilitarian role. Their use is purely decorative or identity-related. Such gables are less common in other parts of northern France. Although
Flanders is not far away, the gables of the Soissonnais are very different from those of Flanders in shape and structure, and the long history of this tradition in France makes it unlikely that the two are related. The gables at
Château de Pierrefonds, on the other hand, were designed by
Viollet-le-Duc in the neo-Gothic style of the 19th century, and are a cross between Soissonnais and Flanders.
Urban architecture There's also a more monumental, urban version of cusped gables, found mainly in northern Europe, whose function is exclusively decorative or symbolic.
Northern Europe In
Belgian and
French Flanders, stepped gables became widespread from the Middle Ages onwards. They are probably the result of adapting the
crenellations of fortified walls to sloping gables. A symbol of seigneurial housing, they were taken up by the powerful bourgeoisie of free market towns, to demonstrate the power they had acquired. The redents then quickly became widespread and a simple decorative motif, adorning even modest buildings. Redents are also sometimes fitted with
merlons. This type of gable, also known as “stepped gable” or “stepped gable”, is characteristic of many parts of Northern Europe. They can be found, with various local variations, in
Flanders (in the broadest sense) and the
Netherlands, but also throughout northern
Germany,
Poland, the
Baltic states and
Scandinavia, particularly in the former German
Hanseatic towns, for which this type of gable is a striking architectural symbol, and where they spread at the same time as the
backsteingotik (“brick Gothic”) style. They have also spread to more southerly Germanic regions, such as
Bavaria,
Alsace and
Switzerland. In Flanders and the Netherlands, their style is somewhat different (the steps are smaller and tend to be more numerous on each pitch, compared to the often large steps of northern Germany). They were a characteristic feature of urban construction where, by virtue of taxes on the width of houses, people came to build high and privilege this aspect of the facade. Horizontal divisions corresponding to storey heights often tended to be reduced in height, creating an optical effect of “false perspective” that accentuated the effect of height. From the Renaissance onwards, curves and
scrolls began to appear, gradually eliminating the “stepped” appearance, although many were still preserved. From the early 19th century to the present day, neo-regionalist architecture has revived the use of crenellated gables in both
Belgian and
French Flanders:
Tournai's Grand-Place, the reconstruction of
Ypres and
Bailleul after the First World War, buildings in
Lille, and so on. File:Valenciennes,(nord de la France), Maison du Prévôt.jpg|Provost's house in
Valenciennes. File:Brugge old houses R01.jpg|Old houses in
Bruges (Belgium). File:Heden Liturgisch Centrum.jpg|Gothic house in Bruges. File:Brugge ambachtshuis schoenmakers.jpg|Gothic house in Bruges. File:Gent - Grote Sikkel 1.jpg|Grote Sikkel in
Ghent (Belgium). File:Trapgevel.JPG|Guild houses in
Antwerp (Belgium). File:Vleeshal building Speckstraat Harlem.jpg|The
Vleeshal in
Haarlem (Netherlands). File:K123w.jpg|The
Huis met de Hoofden in
Amsterdam (Netherlands). File:Hoorn - Statencollege - 50382106197 (cropped).jpg|The
Westfries Museum in
Hoorn (Netherlands). File:Van lanschot hooge steenweg 29 s-hertogenbosch.jpg|The Head Office of the banking
Van Lanschot Kempen Hooge Steenweg 29, in
's-Hertogenbosch (Netherlands). == Construction ==