Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The halls of Villebois-Lavalette, located in Charente (Nouvelle-Aquitaine), originally date from around 1665, built on a 12th century foundation. Their structure combines wooden and stone pillars, supporting a complex structure covered with canal tiles. They were probably made by the same craftsmen as the Duke of Navailles' castle, reflecting the utilitarian and community architecture of the time.

Between 1784 and 1787 Mr. Dauber Daubeuf de Villée, the local lord and captain of the castle, had the structure repaired and added dice of stone to the pillars. In 1806 the halls became communal property, including the adjacent fairground. Their evolution reflects economic and urban needs, such as the enlargement of 1852 to facilitate traffic, marked by the addition of Tuscan columns and a second section of roof.

Ranked a historic monument in 1948 after an aborted demolition project (1946), they illustrate the late preservation of the vernacular heritage. Their 670 m2 roof, sloping paved floor, and 19th-century doorstep reflect their central role in social and commercial life. Restorations (1976, 2012-2013) have allowed for their sustainability, now home to weekly markets.

Their architecture, adapted to the triangular topography of the square, combines functionality and rural aesthetics. Local materials (stone, wood, canal tiles) and successive developments (walks, fountain) highlight their anchoring in the territory. Their survival, despite the threats of the twentieth century, makes it a rare example of medieval halls remodelled in modern and contemporary times.

Their history also reveals links with urbanization: the arrival of running water in 1853, via the fountain of the Font Trouvée, and the integration of the pillar in the halls. These elements, combined with their ranking, make it a utilitarian and symbolic monument, reflecting the evolution of commercial practices and heritage policies in France.

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