This wall is part of the entry passageway up from the street-level of Amboise to the château grounds that sit on high. The site has undergone many reconstructions and renovations over the years since it was occupied by royalty. This wall appears to have been "patched up" with bricks as these were certainly not available during the original construction. What's interesting is that they have "melted" over the years leaving rectangular crevasses and a very thick surface texture.
Very interesting shapes in this pic... particularly in how the stone and bricks mix.
ReplyDeleteIt's a real hodge-podge alright. Looks it was a quick and dirty fix to crumbling wall.
DeleteThey are blending in, in their own unique way.
ReplyDeleteI'd say the bricks seem to be blending into the atmosphere.
DeleteThat's what I love about these old castles and places. Do you think there used to be an opening on the right (door or window?)
ReplyDeleteCould be. One can only guess.
DeleteJ'aime les photos de ces parois qui ont des vies tumultueuses.
ReplyDeleteMême quand elles sont plus contemporaines, elles donnent un graphisme souvent intéressant...
J'aime "vies tumultueuses"... c'est comme moi !
DeleteLovely wall. Our house is an amalgam of different materials as well.
ReplyDeleteHmm, I'm imagining your house looks a bit better than this though !
DeleteThey could have had bricks when the chateau was constructed, but they would have been in very limited supply and very expensive, so they were rarely used. The condition of these bricks tells me that they must be very soft, so pre-1850 probably, and bound with a mortar that is too hard for them, so that moisture is exiting through the bricks rather than through the mortar, causing the bricks to erode. The idea is always to have mortar that is softer than your structural blocks in these old buildings, as mortar can be replaced. The buildings are not intended to be impervious like a modern construction, but to allow water to act naturally through gravity and capilliary action to work its way to the outside (often referred to as 'breathing'). That's one of the reasons the walls are so thick too, so damp patches (theoretically) do not appear on the inside.
ReplyDeleteI would guess that this is (just) a retaining wall and that there is earth behind it, so there might be a lot of moisture coming through.
DeleteLooks great with all that repair-work.
ReplyDeleteSome of my home repair work looks worse.
DeleteNow that's about as rustic as you can get Stuart :)
ReplyDeleteAs they say, rustic is in the eye of the beholder.
Delete