Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The building on the Place Nationale in Montauban is part of a remarkable 16th century architectural ensemble. This historic monument is distinguished by its ground floor forming a double vaulted gallery on dogive crosses, while its three upper floors feature alternately rectangular and circular bays. Some houses in this square bear the engraved dates of 1516 and 1556, attesting to their construction during the Renaissance. The Toulouse architect Pierre Besneville is identified as the masterpiece of this ensemble, characterized by the almost exclusive use of the brick, with the exception of the arch keys, vaults and window supports, made from another material.

The National Square illustrates the influence of Toulouse architectural models in Montauban, with a regularity of ordinances that reflects the aesthetic canons of the time. The facades and roofs of these buildings were classified as Historic Monument by decree of 6 March 1917, highlighting their heritage value. The building of brick, the dominant material in the region, and the presence of carved details such as the keys of arches, testify to artisanal know-how and a desire for urban beautification. The architect Pierre Besneville, originally from Toulouse, marked the Montauban landscape by this project, mixing commercial functionality (galeries on the ground floor) and visual harmony.

The precise address of this building, according to the Merimée base, is the 6 Place Nationale in Montauban, in the department of Tarn-et-Garonne (Occitanie region). Although the GPS location suggests an approximation to the rue d'Élie, the official sources confirm its anchoring on the Place Nationale. The protected elements are limited to facades and roofs, without any mention of public access or a current tourist vocation. The Creative Commons Photo License (Krzysztof Golik Credit) allows free distribution of images of this heritage, subject to citation by the author.

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