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Heritage classified

Origin and history

The buildings at numbers 5 and 7 of Rue Sauval, in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, date from the second half of the 17th century. Their construction is part of the urban development of the capital during the reign of Louis XIV, a period marked by architectural beautification and the emergence of new residential districts. These buildings, typical of the Parisian bourgeois habitat of the period, are distinguished by their facades and roofs on the street, as well as by their monumental staircases, characteristic elements of classical civil architecture.

The facades and roofs of the two buildings, as well as the large central staircase of 5 rue Sauval and the baluster staircase of 7 rue Sauval, were inscribed in the Historical Monuments by order of 10 November 1995. This protection recognizes their heritage value, particularly for their representation of aesthetic and technical codes of the late seventeenth century. Buildings are now owned by a private company, and their location, although documented, remains a "fair" accuracy according to the criteria of the Merimée base.

The Rue Sauval, where these buildings are located, is located in a central district of Paris, close to the Halles and the Forum des Halles, a historical area of commerce and exchanges since the Middle Ages. By the end of the 17th century, this sector was undergoing a transformation, attracting an affluent population in search of housing in line with the new standards of comfort and prestige. The protected stairs, with their balusters and open cages, bear witness to this desire for monumentality in private housing, reflecting the social status of the owners or tenants of the time.

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